Working parents in the Wellington area are being invited to apply for up to 30 hours of funded childcare for three and four year olds.

The Government is doubling the amount of funded childcare hours from 15 hours to 30 hours a week – for 38 weeks each year – from September.

The additional hours will support working parents who are struggling to pay childcare costs or who may be looking to increase their working hours.

To qualify both parents must be working and earning on average at least the equivalent of 16 hours at the National Minimum or Living Wage a week. And parents must earn less than £100,000 a year.

To apply for this new offer, parents should visit www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

For more information and a list of all participating childcare providers, visit the council’s website at www.somerset.gov.uk/eye30