Yes, its all done through tax credits. i believe you just need to tell them the nursery/minder's and how much you will have to pay and they will help you out.
if both you and the missus is working you can get up to 70% off your childcare costs, the goverment will adjust your child tax credits accordingly. our eldest, who is 3, qualified for the 2 year funding programme where he gets 15 hours for free. on top of that we get around £60/week to put...