One of the biggest challenges for working parents is finding affordable child care.

With the cost of private nursery care often running into thousands of pounds each year, it can put an enormous strain on the finances, especially if families have more than one child of pre-school age.

But the good news is that there is help available - if you know where to look.

If you are sending your child to a school or nursery run by a voluntary or private provider (as opposed to a state nursery), you may be eligible for a grant to help meet the cost of nursery education.

Before you can make a claim, the nursery has to register with its local education authority (LEA) and it can then make applications on the parent's behalf.

In order to qualify, the nursery has to agree to certain terms and conditions, one of which is that they will be inspected by the government education watchdog, Ofsted, to ensure quality standards are met.

A child becomes eligible for the grant at the start of the term following their third birthday and eligibility lasts until they start in a reception class at school.

But it is only payable for whole terms so, for example, a child who turns three half-way through February would not be eligible for the grant until the start of the summer term.

For eligible children the grant covers the cost of five nursery sessions per week (each lasting two-and-a-half hours). Parents will have to pay for any additional care they might need.

Although the grants themselves are not means tested, the amount available per child may change from year to year, depending on funding.

You can find out the current amount from the nursery provider or by contacting your local authority.

The grant is not paid directly to the parent, but instead the LEA pays it to the nursery for each eligible child. It is then divided between the three terms and paid over the school year.

The Government operates the scheme in this way because the grant only covers nursery education provided during term-time and not during school holidays.

If you think your child may be eligible for a grant next term, contact your nursery or pre-school who will make the application for you.