Free childcare
What is free childcare?
The government is providing more childcare for working families.
Families may receive up to 15 or 30 hours of their child’s care free for up to 38 weeks a year. Whether you get 15 or 30 depends on the child’s age and your situation.
It equates to 570 or 1,140 hours over 38 weeks. You have the option to 'stretch' the offer across more weeks of the year by taking fewer hours per week.
To find out what you can get right away, use Best start in Life. This is the government eligibility checker:
Best start in Life eligibility checker
You can also apply for tax-free childcare to help with your costs.
How to apply
The application process and the organisation you apply to will vary depending on your child's age and your circumstances.
Types of free childcare:
- Childcare for working families (9 months to 4 years old)
- Childcare for all families - universal entitlement (3 and 4 year olds)
- Childcare for Early Learning for 2-Year-olds
- Free childcare for foster carers
1. Childcare for working families
9 months to 4 years old
Working parents may be able to get up to 30 hours of free childcare a week.
You may be eligible if:
- you live in England
- both parents work at least 16 hours a week
- both parents earn at least the minimum wage
- neither parent earns more than £100,000 a year
How to apply
- go to Best Start in Life to check if you are eligible
- apply with HMRC and get an 11-digit code
Find out more:
When to apply
Apply for your code before these deadlines to start receiving childcare from the beginning of the next term:
- 31 March for summer term starts
- 31 August for autumn term starts
- 31 December for spring term starts
Reconfirm your eligibility every 3 months
Already have a code? You must reconfirm your eligibility every 3 months. Sign in to your GOV.UK childcare account and follow the instructions in your messages.
2. Childcare for all families (universal entitlement)
3 to 4 year olds
If your child is 3 or 4 years old, you can get 15 hours of free childcare each week. This continues until they start school. You don’t need to apply for this yourself.
How to apply
- find a childcare provider that is registered with Ofsted
- show them your child’s birth certificate or passport
- the childcare provider will apply on your behalf
- the Council will pay them for your free hours
To find a childcare provider, visit ESCIS, the Council’s database for community listings.
ESCIS – Find a childcare provider
To apply for a place, speak to your chosen childcare provider.
3. Childcare for Early Learning for 2-year-olds
The Early Learning for 2-year-olds offer provides 15 hours of free childcare a week for eligible children aged 2.
You may be eligible if:
- you receive certain benefits, including Universal Credit
- your child is looked after or adopted from care
- your child has an EHC plan or receives DLA
- you have a non-UK immigration status and cannot claim benefits
Once approved, the funding continues until your child turns 3, even if your circumstances change.
How to apply
You need to apply for this funding through the local authority. To check if you're eligible, or to start your application:
- go to our Parent Portal
- we will give you a 6-character code
- find childcare that is Ofsted-registered and give them your code
- we pay them directly
4. Free childcare for foster carers
If your foster child is two years old, they already get 15 hours a week of free childcare for Early Learning for 2-year-olds.
After that, all 3 to 4-year-olds get 15 hours a week of free childcare. Foster carers can boost this to 30 hours a week if they have extra paid work or have a fostering commitment.
For example:
- You’re a sole foster carer and have a paid job
- You’re a couple; both work and foster
How to apply
If your child’s social worker approves, you can apply to us when your child is 16 weeks away from turning 3.
We will give you a code and tell your child’s social worker. You must give the code to an approved childcare provider.
Frequently asked questions
When can you start receiving free childcare?
0 to 8 months old:
- no free childcare available
9 to 23 months old:
- up to 30 hours a week, for eligible working families
2 years old:
- 15 hours a week through Early Learning for 2-year-olds (EL42)
- up to 30 hours a week for eligible working families
3 to 4-year-olds:
- 15 hours a week for all children (universal entitlement)
- up to 30 hours a week for eligible working families
When to apply for free childcare
Your child can’t start on their birthday. There are three start dates each year:
- Autumn Term: September to December
- Spring Term: January to March
- Summer Term: April to August
How to apply
Apply and get approved first.
Your child can start the term after they become eligible.
- 9 months can start the term after they turn 9 months old.
- 2 years and over can start the term after their birthday, provided they are eligible.
Example: If your child turns 3 in September, apply in the autumn term and they can start in January (spring term).
Tip: Apply at least one month before the term starts to allow time for your application to be processed.
What if I need extra hours?
If you need more hours at nursery or with your childminder, ask them to give you non-funded hours. You will need to pay their regular price for these extra hours.
How do I get free childcare in the school holidays?
Many childcare providers, like nurseries and childminders, are open all year. If yours is, they may offer the option to stretch your free childcare hours across more than 38 weeks. The overall number of hours does not change. A stretched offer covers more weeks by providing fewer hours per week.
Will I have to pay anything for my free childcare?
No. The hours must be free. Your provider may charge for consumables. These can include snacks, wipes, and nappies for specialist activities such as forest school. These charges must be voluntary.
If you choose not to pay any additional charges, your provider must offer you an alternative. You may be asked to provide your own snacks, wipes, and nappies.
Can I get free childcare if my child has a delayed start to Reception?
School-aged children
Some schools start in September. If your child’s start date for a Reception class is later than the set term dates, you can’t claim any early years funding.
If the staggered start causes a childcare problem, you will need to discuss this with the school. Free hours are available to families who have delayed their child’s school place. This is available until the child reaches statutory school age (5 years old).
Children who access a free place in a school nursery do not get guaranteed admission to the school. You must apply for a place at the school if you want your child to transfer to the reception class.
Need help?
Contact us if you have any questions:
- Email: Family Information Service
- Phone: 0345 60 80 192, 10am to 3pm, Monday to Friday
Parent questions for providers
Choosing a childcare provider is an important decision. Before you accept a place, ask how funded childcare works at the setting.
You may wish to ask some of the questions below to understand what is available and whether the provider's offer meets your needs.
Funded early education entitlement
- how many funded hours is my child eligible for?
- do you offer all funded entitlements available for eligible children?
- do you offer "stretched" funding across 52 weeks, an alternative number of weeks, or is it term-time only (38 weeks)?
- if so, how many hours per week would my child receive under the stretched offer?
- are there any restrictions on when funded hours can be taken?
- can the funded entitlement be split between more than one provider?
- do you charge a registration fee or deposit, and is it refundable for funded places?
Attendance patterns and hours
- what attendance patterns do you offer (full days, half days, school-day sessions, term-time only, all-year round)?
- can I choose which days and hours to apply my funded hours to?
- how flexible are the attendance patterns if my circumstances change?
- are there set session times or can hours be used more flexibly?
- how are funded hours allocated across the week?
- if I only use my free funded hours, can my child attend just those specific times?
Optional extras and additional fees
- are there any charges in addition to the funded hours?
- can I access my child's funded place without purchasing any additional services?
- how will I be informed about any additional charges?
- how much do you charge per hour if I exceed my government-funded limit?
- do I need to sign an agreement relating to optional extras?
- what are the costs for meals, snacks, consumables, outings, or special activities?
- can I provide my own packed lunch, nappies, wipes, or other consumables if I wish?
Enrichment activities
- what enrichment activities do you offer?
- are enrichment activities included within the funded entitlement or charged separately?
- what types of experiences are available (e.g. forest school, music, sports, dance, language learning, visits, animal experiences)?
- how often do enrichment activities take place?
- can my child still access their funded place if we don't participate in paid enrichment activities?
- how do enrichment activities support children's learning and development?
Administration and logistics
- how and when do I need to submit my funding eligibility codes to you?
- what happens to my funded hours during bank holidays or when the nursery closes?
- do you accept Tax-Free Childcare payments or workplace childcare vouchers for the remaining balance?
- how does the invoice clearly display the deduction of the government-funded hours?
- is there a waiting list for funded places, and how do you prioritize them?
Practical considerations
- what are your opening hours and holiday arrangements?
- what is your procedure if my child is absent?
- do you have a waiting list?
- what happens if my childcare needs change during the year?
- who should I speak to about funding, invoices, or additional charges?
- if I have a concern, how will I be supported to raise this?
- who should I raise a concern with?
Quality and learning
- how do you support children's learning through play?
- how do you assess and share my child's progress?
- how do you prepare children for starting school?
- how do you support children with additional needs or disabilities?
- how do you work with parents to support children's learning at home?
Key transparency question
Can you provide a clear written breakdown showing which parts of my child's place are covered by the funded entitlement and which charges are genuinely optional extras?