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Wraparound childcare support for parents

Wraparound childcare is childcare that takes place before and after the school day. It is designed to help working parents of primary school-aged children by offering care between 8am and 6pm during term time, and sometimes in the school holidays.

This is a government initiative to make it easier for parents to work by improving access to childcare outside normal school hours. The Department for Education (DfE) is giving funding to councils to help schools and childcare providers set up or grow their wraparound services.

West Northamptonshire Council started supporting and funding wraparound childcare providers in 2024. This means schools and childcare providers can now offer more places for before and after-school care that parents and carers can pay to use.

Programme objectives

The objectives of the programme are to support parents by increasing access to wraparound childcare.

These include:

  • ensuring all families who need wraparound childcare can access it by 2026
  • supporting parents to remain in employment or take up new work opportunities
  • enabling schools and childcare providers to increase the number of available places

How it works

The delivery of wraparound childcare is a shared effort between the Department for Education, local authorities, schools and childcare providers.

The process works as follows:

  • the Department for Education provides funding to local councils
  • councils work with schools and childcare providers to develop or expand services
  • parents can contact their child’s school to request wraparound childcare if it is not currently available

Financial support 

Parents may be able to get help with childcare costs through Universal Credit Childcare, which covers up to 85% of costs, or through tax free childcare, which covers 20% of costs up to a set limit.

Accessing local services

For further information and guidance, please speak to your child’s school or to look at current providers of wraparound childcare follow the link to our Families Information Service (FIS).

Last updated 23 October 2025