Childcare support is expanding – have you checked your eligibility?

Do you know what childcare funding you can receive? Childcare Choices has launched a new campaign to help all parents to understand the different childcare options available to them, helping to juggle family life and making it easier for parents to manage their budget.

The expansion of childcare support is here to help you balance the beautiful chaos of family life. Working parents of children aged 9 months to up to 3 years can now get 15 hours per week for 38 weeks a year, increasing to 30 hours from September 2025.

Imagine what this support could do for your family. Childcare support can give your child a good start whilst giving you work choices, helping you juggle family life a little easier.

You can check what support you might be eligible for using the online eligibility checker on www.ChildcareChoices.gov.uk. This YouTube video from Early Years Educator Steff explains the application process in more detail.

Apply now!

If you’re planning to use your hours from 1st January, you will need to apply by 31st December. To do so, visit GOV.UK to apply for your code for a place in January and then share it with your childcare provider. To continue receiving the government support, you will need to reconfirm your details every three months on your GOV.UK account.

What help can you get?

In addition to the new support for working parents of children aged 9 months to 3 years, eligible working parents with children aged 3 and 4 can get 30 hours childcare per week. Other offers available for eligible parents include Tax-Free Childcare and Universal Credit Childcare. Some parents receiving support like Universal Credit or whose child has an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan can also access 15 hours for their 2 year old. You might be able to use more than one form of support together to help with your childcare costs. Since September, more wraparound childcare places have become available – giving better support for parents before and after school.

The funding expansion:

• As of April 2024, eligible working parents of 2-year-olds can access 15 hours per week
• As of September 2024, eligible working parents of children aged 9 months up to 3 years old can access 15 hours per week
• From September 2025, eligible working parents of children aged 9 months up to 3 years old can access 30 hours per week

To find out more about funding please see our blog ‘Funded childcare expansion explained’.

Funding helps your child thrive in a supportive learning environment and nursery settings have so much to offer and contribute towards a child’s physical, social and cognitive development.

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