Pre-school

Pre-school Credit Award

Parents or guardians of children resident in the Isle of Man may apply for a credit to be used towards the cost of a pre-school place 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 2019-20 academic school year, for children whose date of birth falls between 1 September 2015 and 31 August 2016.

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 are not eligible to Child Benefit for your son/daughter you will need to provide a copy of their birth certificate.  A copy of the birth certificate can be emailed to Pre-SchoolCredit.DEC3@doe.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.

You should agree with the provider how much credit is to be applied to your invoices for each billing period. Up to one half of the total credit can be used in the first half of the year (September to February) and any remaining balance, up to the full amount, can be used between March and August.

Your provider will be responsible 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.