Splitting Your 1,140 Funded Hours Across Two Providers

Most parents in Scotland use a single setting for their child's 1,140 funded hours — one nursery or one childminder, full stop. But you do not have to. Scottish Government policy allows you to split your child's funded hours across up to two registered providers. For some families this solves problems that no single setting can: covering school holidays when your council nursery is closed, getting a popular nursery on the days you most need it, or combining the structure of a nursery with the flexibility of a childminder.

This guide explains how splitting works, the cases where it is worth the extra coordination, and the practical pitfalls to watch for.

What splitting actually means

A split placement divides your 1,140 hours between two settings. Each setting delivers a portion of the entitlement, and the council pays each one for the share they cover. Common patterns include:

• Nursery + childminder: 3 days a week at a council nursery, 2 days a week with a childminder
• Two nurseries: a council nursery for term-time mornings, a private partner-provider nursery for afternoons or holidays
• Term-time nursery + stretched childminder: nursery during term time, childminder for school holidays

The total cannot exceed 1,140 hours per year, but the split between the two providers can be anything from a small minority share to a 50/50 division.

Why parents choose to split

The most common reasons are practical rather than ideological:

• Holiday cover gap: a council nursery delivers term-time only, but you need year-round care
• Limited session times: your preferred nursery only has spaces on certain days
• Geographic logistics: a nursery near work plus a childminder near home
• Curriculum and social mix: parents wanting both the structured group setting of a nursery and the home environment of a childminder
• Sibling care: a childminder who can do school pickups for older siblings plus a nursery for the funded child during the day

How it works step by step

1. Identify two funded providers — both must be on your council's funded partner list. Check the council website or ask the family information service.
2. Confirm availability at both — phone each and ask about taking a funded child for a partial-hours arrangement.
3. Agree the split — decide what proportion of the 1,140 hours each setting will deliver. A common split is 60/40 or 50/50.
4. Notify the council — submit a split-placement application or update through the council's funded childcare team. Some councils have dedicated forms; others handle it through normal correspondence.
5. Sign agreements with both settings — you usually sign separate written agreements covering each provider's share of hours, holiday policy and any extras.
6. The council pays each setting directly — you do not handle the funded payments, only any top-up hours you buy from either provider.

What the providers receive

Each setting receives the council's hourly rate for the hours they actually deliver. A typical council pays £5-6 per hour. If you split 700 hours to Nursery A and 440 hours to Childminder B, the council pays Nursery A for 700 hours and Childminder B for 440 hours over the course of the year.

Limitations and friction points

Splitting is allowed but rarely easy. Issues that come up regularly:

• Council reluctance: split placements create more administration than single placements, and some councils discourage them informally even when policy permits
• Provider reluctance: some nurseries prefer full-time or full-funded placements because they are simpler to fill and to plan around
• Settling in twice: your child has to settle in at two settings, which can be hard for younger or more anxious children
• Two sets of paperwork: enrolment forms, medical information, photos, holiday letters — all duplicated
• Coordinating holidays and closures: aligning two providers' calendars takes work, and a closure at one is not automatically covered by the other
• Communication: making sure both settings know about allergies, naps, current themes and pickup arrangements requires effort from you

When splitting is worth doing

Splitting is most worthwhile when one of your preferred settings cannot offer the full pattern you need, or when you are using a term-time nursery and need stretched cover during school holidays. It is also useful for families with complex schedules — shift workers, parents with hospital appointments, or families who use a childminder for sibling continuity but want some nursery exposure for the funded child.

It is usually not worth the effort if you could fit the same hours into one good setting. Two half-good settings will rarely beat one great one.

Talking to your council

If you want to split, raise it as early as possible — ideally before you submit your funded childcare application. Phrasing such as "we'd like to use our 1,140 hours across a council nursery and a registered childminder, both on the funded partner list — can you walk me through the process?" tends to produce better answers than asking generically whether splitting is allowed.