Wigan Family Information Service

Information service for families to help with the cost of childcare, funded hours and finding childcare and business support for childcare settings.

Information For Parents / Carers

If you are looking for childcare, holiday care or breakfast and after school care, please go to the Families section on Our Town Directory to see what is available in your local area.

Wigan Family Information Service (FIS) can help with many different services such as:

Brokerage - Our team will help you to find childcare, holiday care and wraparound care if you are unable to find anything suitable in your local area. 

Cost of childcare - We can inform about and signpost to different schemes to help with the cost of childcare. More information can be found at Childcare Choices.

Nursery education grant funding - Eligibility and application process relating to government funded hours for eligible children. We can also offer information about the upcoming extension to the entitlement. 

2-year-old funding

There are two different schemes for 15 hours of funded childcare for 2-year-olds. Each scheme has a different application process, so it is important to use the correct one for the scheme you are eligible for. If you are eligible for both schemes, please apply for the benefit related offer. 

If you are in receipt of certain benefits, you may be eligible to claim 15 hours of childcare for your 2-year-old. Visit www.wigan.gov.uk/2yearoldfunding for more information about eligibility criteria and to apply. Your 2-year-old may also be eligible for this scheme if they:

• are looked after by a local authority
• have an education, health and care (EHC) plan
• get Disability Living Allowance
• have left care under an adoption order, special guardianship order or a child arrangements order

Working parents with children aged two or due to turn two may be eligible for 15 hours of funded childcare from the term following their 2nd birthday. For more information about eligibility criteria and to apply, visit www.gov.uk. 

New working parents entitlement

From September 2024, working parents may be able to get 15 hours funded childcare for their child from the age of 9 months. Children become eligible to use their hours from the start of the term after they turn 9 months old.

Applications open 12th May 2024. If you receive a code earlier than 3 months before the start of term, you will need to reconfirm your eligibility via your childcare account to maintain the validity of your code.

From September 2025 the 'working parent' entitlement will increase from 15 hours to 30 hours per week (term time).

You can find out more information about the above entitlements, as well as information and eligibility criteria for Tax-free childcare, Universal Credit, and help with childcare costs while you study, at Childcare Choices. 

Family Hubs

We run a weekly drop-in session at Wigan Central Family Hub to help parents with any questions they may have about the above information. Please view the Family Hub timetable for more information about what services are available and when. 

Information For Childcare Providers

We can offer the following services to potential and existing childcare providers:

Business support for childcare settings - We can help with setting up a new childcare service and support for existing settings.

Becoming a Childminder - Interested in becoming a childminder? We can help you through the registration process, offer advice and information. Please contact us to find out when our next Childminder Briefing is, packed with information you need to decide if childminding is for you. 

We will try our very best to help you with your query or signpost you to the appropriate service. Please contact us via the details below.