About the Fees

Daycare late payment charge

Payment is due within 30 days after the invoice is received. The late payment penalty charge will be 5% of the unpaid amount. This will take effect from the 1st October 2021.

Saplings Fee structure from 1st November 2025

• Fees are invoiced monthly in advance.  
• Funded sessions are offered between 9.00 am - 3.00 pm, 48 weeks out of 50 weeks per year
• The additional 2 non-funded weeks are optional, but fully payable
• Before and after-school clubs are charged at an hourly rate up until 4 pm; after 4 pm, charges apply until 6 pm.
• All children are entitled to 15 hours of government-funded childcare, the term after they are 3 years old.  Funding is stretched across 48 weeks; this equates to 12 hours per week.
• Eligible children are entitled to 30 hours of government-funded care for the term after they turn 9 months. Stretched over 48 weeks, this equates to 24 hours per week.
• As seen in the table below, the government entitlement is a maximum number of hours per year. When stretching the full entitlement over 48 weeks, rather than 38, there is a shortfall. 24 hours x 48 weeks= 1152 hours / 12 hours x 48 weeks = 576 hours.
• Those children who claim their full entitlement will therefore effectively ‘run out’ of their yearly allocation. Being 6 hours over if 12 hours are claimed and 12 hours over if 24 are claimed.
• Sapling’s currently offers 2 weeks (10 days) of optional, non-funded weeks in August. We will be extending that to 11 days for children who claim 12 hours per week and 12 days for those who claim 24 hours per week.
• Non-funded days during the 48 weeks can include sessions from 07:45–13:00, 07:45–16:00, 07:45–18:00, or 13:00–18:00
• Payment must be made within 30 days of receiving the invoice.  A 5% penalty will be applied to any overdue amount.
• Nappies and wipes, as well as breakfast, snacks, and evening meals, are included in the fees.       
• Fees are reviewed bi-annually, in September and January. We reserve the right to increase the fees. Some changes are based on government funding announcements and may affect our rates.
• Parents will be informed in writing of any changes to the fee structure as soon as possible following a review.
• Please note that funding is not accepted during the last two weeks of August. If you would like your child to attend during this period, you must book their sessions in advance.
• We accept the following payment types: 

Bank Transfer, Cash, Employer's Childcare Vouchers, Tax-free Childcare Vouchers 

For general enquiries, please contact  office@hadlowsaplings.com 

For billing enquiries, please contact  figen@hadlowsaplings.com

Holiday Club Charges for non-funded children

Fees are payable 50 weeks per year to maintain staff-to-child ratios, even if the child does not attend holiday club sessions last 2 weeks in August.

Bank Holidays 

Missed funded days due to bank holidays can be swapped for a free session during our Holiday Club in last two weeks in August.