Pre-school
Parents or carers of children resident in the Isle of Man may apply for a credit to be used towards the cost of a pre-school placement during the academic year in which the child has their fourth birthday (the academic year being from 1 September to 31 August).
Applications are now being accepted for the 2021-22 academic school year, for children whose date of birth falls between 1 September 2017 and 31 August 2018.
There is a universal credit of £3,420 for parents of qualifying children.
Application for a pre-school credit award can be made by completing the online application process. Alternatively, a paper application form can be completed and submitted to the Department of Education, Sport and Culture, (‘DESC’) at Hamilton House, Peel Road, Douglas. Forms may be downloaded or collected from Hamilton House or the Welcome Centre at the Sea Terminal, Douglas.
We aim to confirm approval for the universal credit award within 10 working days of receipt of the application. If you child's birth was not registered on the Isle of Man, a copy of their birth certificate will need to be submitted. A copy of the birth certificate can be emailed to Pre-SchoolCredit.DESC@gov.im at the time of application.
Once your application has been approved, you will receive a letter confirming the amount of credit that has been awarded. This letter includes a tear-off slip that should be completed and handed in to your chosen registered provider or registered childminder.
The pre-school credit award is allocated on a monthly basis and can be claimed a month in advance, the amount of award available for a child who attends pre-school all year round will be £285.00 per month. The amount of award available for a child who attends term-time will be up to £342.00 per month with the exception of December, April and July when up to £228 can be claimed and there is no credit remaining for August.
Your provider will be responsible for registering your child with the Department of Education, Sport & Culture for claiming payment from the Department of Education, Sport and Culture for the value of the approved amount applied to the services provided.
Please see the frequently asked questions, for more information on eligibility for pre-school credit award and using the credit.
The DESC will be working with private and voluntary run pre-school providers to support their ongoing development and improvement through its Early Years Quality Mark.
