Insurance for your nursery fees — when your child can’t attend.

The Problem

Parents across the UK are paying between £60 and £100 per day for nursery care — a significant expense even under the best circumstances. But when their child is unable to attend due to illness, injury, or family holidays, these fees are still charged in full. Most nurseries do not offer any refund or credit for missed days, leaving families out of pocket.

Over the course of a year, a typical child may miss 10–20 days of nursery — which translates to a financial loss of £1,000–£2,000 or more per family. These missed days accumulate quickly during seasonal colds, flu, ear infections, or when nurseries enforce mandatory 48-hour return rules for contagious symptoms. Parents are left paying for a service they can’t use, adding frustration to an already stressful situation.

In an era where we insure our phones, pets, and holidays, there is still no mainstream solution that protects one of the largest family expenses — early-years childcare.

The Solution

NurseryCover is a flexible and accessible insurance plan designed specifically for families with children in early-years childcare. When a child is unable to attend nursery due to illness, injury, or pre-approved absences, NurseryCover steps in to help recover the lost fees — providing peace of mind and financial fairness to parents who already manage busy lives and tight budgets.

Our platform makes it simple: families subscribe to a low-cost monthly plan tailored to their nursery's fee structure. When an absence occurs, the parent submits a digital claim, and the nursery confirms the missed attendance. Once approved, the reimbursement is processed swiftly.

NurseryCover is the first of its kind in the UK to address this unmet need with a user-friendly, tech-enabled system that reduces paperwork and creates a more equitable model of childcare billing.

• Affordable monthly plans starting from just £10
• Streamlined digital claims process
• Verification by nursery staff with no admin burden
• Rapid payout turnaround — often within days
• Optional add-ons for holidays or prolonged illness

How It Works

NurseryCover is designed to be simple and stress-free, mirroring the needs of busy families and streamlined nurseries. From sign-up to reimbursement, every step is digital, clear, and fast.

1. Sign up and choose a plan: Parents visit our platform, enter basic details about their child and nursery, and select a monthly plan based on their fee level and attendance schedule.


2. Submit a claim for a missed day: If your child is unwell or absent for an approved reason, log into your account and submit a claim with just a few taps. Attach a short note or optional evidence — no GP letter required in most cases.


3. Receive a refund after nursery confirmation: The nursery simply confirms the missed date via a secure link. Once verified, your claim is approved, and your refund is transferred directly to your bank account — usually within days.

What Parents Are Saying

"We missed 11 days of nursery this year and paid over £900 for days we couldn't use. This is exactly what families need!"
– Antonia, Mum of two from Peterborough

More and more families are realising the strain that nursery absences place on their budgets. Feedback like this helps us understand how important our mission is. At NurseryCover, we're working to create peace of mind for parents across the UK — and these stories motivate us every day.

We’ll be sharing more testimonials and parent feedback as our pilot launches — stay tuned for the real stories that drive our mission forward.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Do I need a GP note? No – in most cases, a GP note is not required. Our process is designed to be quick and convenient. Once your child is marked absent by the nursery and the absence falls within covered conditions, a simple confirmation from the nursery is all we need.


• Is there a limit to how many days I can claim? Yes – to keep the system fair and sustainable, each plan comes with a defined number of reimbursable days per year. The limits are designed to reflect average illness rates and can be tailored based on your plan tier.


• What types of absences are covered? Most short-term illnesses (fever, flu, infections) are covered, as well as mandatory nursery exclusion periods. Optional add-ons can extend cover to include hospitalisations and longer-term absences. We are also actively exploring models to safely and fairly cover some types of holiday absences, ensuring parents have flexibility and peace of mind even during scheduled breaks.


• When will this launch? We’re currently preparing our pilot launch. Parents who join the waitlist will receive priority access, exclusive benefits, and the opportunity to shape the final product with their feedback.

Are You a Nursery?

We’re building partnerships with nurseries across the UK who care about fairness, family support, and operational efficiency. By collaborating with NurseryCover, you'll gain access to tools that protect your parents' investments and elevate the trust they have in your service.

There’s no cost to partner — and we handle all the admin. Our system simply integrates with your attendance records or uses a secure confirmation form to verify absences. You stay in control, without adding workload to your team.

If you're interested in offering families a smarter way to manage childcare costs, click “I’m a Nursery” in the form below and we’ll reach out to you with details on how to join our pilot.

£1,000+ Lost Per Family, Per Year

On average, UK families lose more than £1,000 every year paying for nursery days their child cannot attend due to illness or family leave. With no standard refund policies in most nurseries, this financial gap puts real pressure on working households.

It’s time to protect one of the biggest household expenses: nursery care. NurseryCover exists to ensure parents aren't left out of pocket for circumstances outside their control.

Parent Survey

Help us shape the future of childcare fee protection by sharing your experience below. Your feedback helps us design a better product for families like yours.