15hrs funded childcare - not until she's 14 months old??

[Babyandnewjob]

I'm due to start a new job in a couple of weeks and I have an 11 month old daughter. I'm looking into the 15 hours funded childcare, but the gov website says I'm not entitled to funded hours until September, which is when she'll be 14 months old! I thought babies over 9 months old were entitled to some funded hours? I would really appreciate some help. Thank you!

https://www.gov.uk/apply-free-childcare-if-youre-working

Is it because she turned 9 months between April 1st and June 1st? It says on that link that tge hours start in September if that's the case.

Sorry, between 1st April and 31st August....

Yes @Welshfiver is correct. It is the term after - so my DD was born July 2023 so will get some funded hours in September 2024 when she will be 13/14 months.

It’s the same for the three year old funding. My DS was born mid December 2020 so got 30 hours from January 2024 but one of his friends is just two weeks younger but born early January 2021 and didn’t get hers until Easter. (Edit as mistakenly put September 2023.)

It's the term after the age when she would become eligible. So, for example, both mine turned 3 in February, so they became eligible at the start of the summer term (after Easter).

If she turned 9 months old after Easter, then she is eligible at the start of the next term (it goes according to school terms). Summer term started just after Easter. Autumn term starts in September. There is no funding during the summer holidays because it's out of term time.

The 9 months funding doesn’t start until September, so you won’t be eligible for it until September.

Yeah, for all free hours they come into effect the term after they hit the required age.

Using my two as an example, my eldest has an early September birthday, so after she turned 3, received her 30 free hours in January. My second turned 2 in mid March, so got his 15 free hours in April.

So as it sounds like yours turned 9 months old in April (early/mid July birthday?), she'll receive the free hours from September.

You also need to apply before the end of the month before the start of a new term. So as you're applying in the summer term (needed to apply before the end of March otherwise), you'll get the hours in September.

Thank you so much everyone, but how annoying! Yes her birthday is early July.

I'm in exactly the same boat. Missed cut off by hardly any time!

You could be in NI - no funded hours here, just tax free childcare and a year at preschool 😭😭😭

The 15 funded hours for under 3 year olds is very recent here in England. It's strange how different countries within the UK operate. NI have free prescriptions for everyone, but my free prescriptions (maternity) end soon as my DD is nearly 1 year old.