WORKING parents are being offered extra funded childcare hours thanks to a pilot project being run in North Yorkshire.

Rooftops Montessori Nursery in Richmond is among the nurseries providing the increased 30-hours of extended entitlement funded childcare for parents of three and four year olds, up from the current 15.

The nursery is also offering the extended entitlement over 51 weeks of the year, which works out at 22-hours per week to help parents during the long school holidays.

Nursery owner Hannah Hurley said: “We complete several parent surveys throughout the year and one reoccurring request was for us to open at 7.30am.

“This will help with the morning rush for parents who start work at 8am or have to travel.”

The Government is providing the additional funded care to support parents who want to work and increase their hours.

To be eligible both parents have to be working, or the sole parent in one parent families, among other criteria.