This help centre article has been written for the Koru Kids nanny service
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Koru Kids nannies aren't Ofsted registered as standard, which means most families won't be able to use government funding schemes like Universal Credit, Tax-Free Childcare or Funded Hours.
If you're hoping to use any of the options below, read through the relevant section first, then contact us to discuss before you start looking for a nanny — we want to make sure it's a realistic option before you invest time in the process.
There are two things worth knowing upfront, whichever funding route you're exploring:
Government funding can only be used towards direct childcare costs. Our service fee and any employer obligation costs can't be covered by funding — these will need to be paid by you separately.
All arrangements are subject to an Advance Payment and Setup Fee. It's unlikely that either will be covered by government funding, so you'd need to cover these yourself.
Using Tax-Free Childcare
Tax-Free Childcare requires your nanny to be Ofsted registered. As most Koru Kids nannies aren't registered, it's unlikely to be an option for most families using our service.
That said, some nannies may be willing to register with Ofsted to make this work — you can find out more about that here. A small number of nannies may also already be independently registered but you can't filter by registration on our platform so finding someone could be really difficult.
If you’d like to discuss using Tax-Free Childcare, please contact us and we’ll help where we can.
Using Childcare Grants
Childcare Grants aren't compatible with how our payroll service works. The setup process is lengthy, and grants are typically paid on a termly basis, which doesn't align with our regular payroll cycles.
Using Universal Credit
Unfortunately, we can’t accept Universal Credit as a form of payment for childcare through Koru Kids, due to the difficulties in setup and misalignment of payment cycles.
We’ve recently noticed an increase in families being told by Universal Credit that they can use Koru Kids to find childcare, as we’re registered with Ofsted. This is not correct. If you’ve been advised by Universal Credit to use Koru Kids, please contact us so we can advise on next steps.
Using Funded Hours
Funded Hours can only be used at registered nurseries, childminders, or schools, so they can't be used for childcare through Koru Kids.
If you’d still like to explore using any of the options above, please contact us to discuss before proceeding - we want to make sure it's a realistic option before you invest time in finding a great nanny.
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