Opening Hours

Full-day care: Open Monday to Friday, 8.15am to 5.45pm
Out of Schools: Open Monday to Friday (September to June) 1.45pm to 5.45pm

        Childcare Fees 2025-2026 Academic Year (effective from 1 September 2025)

*Please note an additional £2.00 per day is charged for children under 2 years of age. The fees will be adjusted the month after your child turns 2 years old.

Fees per Semester (Childcare Grant recipients only)[2]

[Notes]

[1] The University operates a salary sacrifice scheme for staff for the payment of childcare fees.  Please see the section on Childcare + below for details of the scheme.

[2] These are the fees applicable for a single child. Please contact Childcare Services for details of the fees applicable for more than one sibling.

Fee Information:

· Fees are payable in advance upon receipt of invoices.

· Fees are reviewed annually, and parents will receive 1 month’s notice of any changes.

· Fees are payable for the allocated period (see below) and invoiced as fixed monthly amounts, with the exception of students in receipt of a Childcare Grant who are invoiced at the start of each semester.

· Staff and external: places are allocated for 12 months, with fees payable for 52 weeks.

· Student: places are allocated for 10 months, invoiced from September to June, with fees payable for 44 weeks. Students also have the option of choosing the 12 month payment plan i.e. childcare is provided throughout July and August.

· Childcare Grant: places are allocated for 44 weeks, billed from September to June, with invoices issued at the start of each Semester. Childcare Grant recipients are expected to pay £100.00 per week pending receipt of Childcare Grant.

· Out of Schools: places are allocated for 10 months, invoiced from September to June, with fees payable over 44 weeks, regardless of attendance during holiday periods. Afternoon attendance (regular attendance pattern) during the school term-time holiday period is included within the standard monthly fee.

· A minimum attendance of two days per week is required. Those attending on a part-time basis can book additional sessions on an ad-hoc basis, subject to availability. These will be invoiced in addition to the standard monthly fees.

· Parents using Out of Schools places can book additional morning sessions on exceptional closure days if available. These will be invoiced in addition to the standard monthly fees.

· A deposit and administration fee of £300 is payable per child upon acceptance of a place. Please see our Payment Policy for further information.

· Retainers - Please see our Payment Policy for further information.

· Sibling discount: a sibling discount of 10% will be applied to second and subsequent children where all children attend 5 days per week. A 5% discount will be applied to second and subsequent children where any of the children attend on a part-time basis.

· Late fee: If you are late collecting your child, you will be charged a fee of £15 for every 15 minutes or part thereof used after close time. This fee will be added to your monthly bill and will be clearly identified on your invoice.

Childcare Support for Students and Staff

As a student, you may be entitled to a Childcare Grant to help you with Childcare fees from your local Education and Library Board. In addition, Queen’s University has funding in place to provide students with discretionary financial help. Contact the Advice SU (su.advice@qub.ac.uk) for more information.

Childcare +

In 2005, the University implemented a Salary Sacrifice Scheme. As a member of staff at Queen’s, you are eligible to join this scheme. Information on the scheme can be accessed by clicking here.

Tax-Free Childcare was introduced to replace the Childcare Vouchers Scheme, which closed to new applicants in October 2018. Parents are given a 'top-up' payment of £2 for every £8 that is saved to pay for childcare up to a maximum of £2000 per child per year. The Tax-Free Childcare Scheme is government-run. Further information can be found on the Tax Free Childcare scheme website. 

Please note that parents/carers are unable to use Tax-Free Childcare in conjunction with the Salary Sacrifice Scheme to pay for a Queen's University Childcare place for the same child however where two or more siblings are attending, it may be possible to use Tax-Free Childcare and Salary Sacrifice as payment methods for each individual child. Queries in relation to this should be directed to Salaries Office (salaries.office@qub.ac.uk) /Tax-Free Childcare helpline.

Please note that we also continue to accept childcare vouchers for those who joined the scheme before it was withdrawn on 4 October 2018.

Northern Ireland Childcare Subsidy Scheme (NICSS)

On 23rd May, the Minister for Education announced a package of Early Learning and Childcare Measures to be implemented in 2024/25. This has been extended to 31 March 2026.

One of these measures is the Northern Ireland Childcare Subsidy Scheme (NICSS), an intervention designed to reduce the childcare costs of eligible working parents. Details of eligibility and how to register can be accessed here

Methods of Payment

Fees must be paid upon receipt of invoice. Failure to do so may jeopardise your childcare place. Weeks outside the semester are calculated on a weekly rate and must be paid monthly in advance. Payment will be accepted online via card through our Flywire eStore by clicking here, as well as childcare vouchers, tax-free childcare, and Childcare +.