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[LibbyMumsnet]

From September, eligible working parents in England with children aged 9 months to school age will be able to access up to 30 hours of funded childcare per week - part of the government’s expanded childcare offer in England.

We know that for many parents, it’s not always straightforward. You might be wondering:
– Am I eligible?
– How do I apply – and what’s the deadline?
– What will funded hours actually look like in practice?
– How do I feel about sending my child to nursery or a childminder?

This Q&A is here to help. Whether you’re after clear, practical info about the funding or want a better sense of what formal childcare is really like, post your question below and we’ll do our best to get it answered.

No question is too small – if it’s on your mind, chances are it’s on someone else’s too.
We’ve brought together two brilliant experts to support this discussion:
👩‍💼 Sarah Walker, an experienced Early Years teacher, who can answer any questions about formal childcare
👩‍👧 Tina Williams, Head of Editorial at Mumsnet and a parent currently using funded hours, who’ll be sharing her real-life experience

They’ll be answering questions weekly throughout July and August in the lead-up to the 31st August application deadline.

💬 Ask your question below by 31st August and you’ll be entered into a prize draw to win a £100 VEX gift voucher (T&C’s apply)

but she is 9 months before 1st September for the term? Or what am I not understanding? Not eligible for UC no

Hi my name is Jessica & I have a really quick question

Hi, my daughter has been in private nursery since January and currently receives the 15 free hours, she is now entitled from September for the 30 free hours however the nursery have now asked for her NHS number and just said the ‘funding team‘ require it? Is this necessary? Why is it needed?

I understand the deadline is August 31st. This has also been sent out to parents from my child's nursery, but when u log on to my account to reconfirm my details I cannot resubmit until September 14th.

Will we still see an increase in our funded hours?

Can you please explain how the funding works for higher earners who reduce their adjusted net income to meet the eligibility criteria? Is eligibility based on the previous year's earnings or current earnings?

I’m due to have a baby in October. This tax year my adjusted net income will exceed £100k. However, next tax year, when my baby starts nursery, my adjusted net income for that year will be below £100k because of maternity pay. How is the 30 hours free childcare calculated? Eg. Is it based on your income in the prior tax year?

Hi @Mysterian! Some nurseries say the funding doesn’t always cover their full costs, but for a lot of nurseries, offering funded places means they can reach more families who otherwise just couldn’t afford it. For parents, those funded hours are often the thing that makes work possible – and for children it means they don’t miss out on early education. So nurseries who offer them are supporting whole families, not just little ones.

The Department for Education is running a recruitment campaign called “Do Something Big” which is showing how valuable early years work is, encouraging more people into the sector, so with more staff and stronger recognition of the value of early years, the whole system can become more sustainable. Nurseries who do offer funded places are making a massive difference. They’re part of something bigger; helping to give children the best start in life and supporting families.

Hello :)
To get funding which will start from 1 September, you need to apply and get your code by 31 August. It’s fine if you start work within the first month of the new term- as long as you meet the criteria when you apply. You may need to pay for days before funding begins, so check with your nursery how they handle that @Amphonw.

Hi @YahBasic - if your little one turns 9 months this month and you’re heading back to work on 30 September, you’ll want to make sure you apply for your funded childcare code in the right window.

For a September start, you need to apply between 1 April and 31 August 2025. That gives you plenty of time to get your code sorted and hand it to your provider before term begins. Once you’ve got the code, you can use your funded hours from 1 September, as long as your child is old enough and you meet the criteria.

Find out more information about how to apply on the Childcare Choices website: https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/30-hours-childcare-support/working-families/how-to-apply

The 30 funded hours are for 38 weeks a year (often this is during term time) – although some providers offer a “stretched” option where the hours are spread across the full year, which works out as fewer hours each week.

You can split your funded hours between more than one approved provider – for example, a nursery and a childminder – as long as both are registered with the scheme and your total doesn’t go over 30 funded hours a week. Just make sure both providers know, so they can arrange it with the local authority. You can check all the details on the Childcare Choices website @Kl86

The ‘monthly funded hours’ line on your invoice is your child’s share of the 30 hours a week, averaged out over the year. Because the funding is based on term time (30 hours over 38 weeks), nurseries often spread it evenly across 12 months – so the hours shown each month won’t be a neat “4 × 30.” That’s why you might see something like 70 hours in a month.

It’s not the same as Tax-Free Childcare top-up – that’s separate, and only applies if you’re paying your provider for costs not covered by the funded hours through the government Childcare Account. If you’re unsure, ask your nursery for a breakdown showing exactly what’s covered by the funded hours and what’s being paid via the childcare account. Hope that helps @mumkathleenapril5

My son is currently receiving 15fdee he’s per week, but should be going up to 30. I’m on maternity leave, he will still be entitled to 30 hrs right?

It's a bit misleading to say "some nurseries say the funding doesn’t always cover their full costs" It's 85% of nurseries that say it. (National Day Nurseries Association)
Then you start going on about how important nurseries are. Yes. You're right. But that doesn't answer the question why should 85% of nurseries offer funded places? You seem to be wanting people to run nurseries as non profit charities.

The Department for Education is running a recruitment campaign to get people into a sector full of jobs of huge responsibilities and minimum wages. People already know and don't want to get into the sector, and those in the sector are leaving because it's poorly funded (meaning conditions are crap), and badly paid.

Your response and the DfE campaign just goes to show that nobody who doesn't actually work in a nursery can even comprehend the problem, let alone the scale of it.

85% of nurseries lose money on funded places.

Hi @Gorondola - you can split the 30 funded hours however you like between up to two approved providers – it doesn’t have to be an even 15 hours each. The key is that the total funded hours across all providers can’t be more than 30 a week, and both settings need to be registered to deliver the scheme. Just let both providers know so they can agree the split with your local authority.

Hi @Greengoblin2 - for the 30 funded hours, you need to be in work (or on paid maternity, paternity, shred parental, adoption or sick leave) at the point you apply and when you reconfirm your details every three months. If your contract ends while you’re on maternity leave, you’ll stay eligible until your next reconfirmation date.

If by that point you’re no longer in work and don’t meet the earnings criteria, you wouldn’t normally be able to keep claiming the 30 hours. It’s worth checking your childcare account for your exact reconfirmation dates so you can see how this lines up. You can read more about the eligibility criteria including information about maternity leave on the Childcare Choices website: https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/30-hours-childcare-support/working-families/eligibility

Hi @PedroPedroPedro - eligibility for the 30 funded hours depends on your immigration status and whether you meet the work and earnings criteria, rather than just when you arrived in the country.

You usually need to have a National Insurance number, the right to work in the UK, and meet the income rules, as well as having the right to access public funds. Some immigration statuses (for example, settled status, pre-settled status, or certain visas) qualify straight away if you meet the other criteria, but others may not. The quickest way to check is to read the eligibility page on the Childcare Choices website: https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/30-hours-childcare-support/working-families/eligibility

If this doesn't answer your question, you may find this FAQ page helpful: https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/15-and-30-hours-childcare-support/faqs

Yesterday morning around 7 I took a clear blue test and tested en it says positive en 3+ so I don't knw wennit says 3+it refers to how many weeks please correct me is it 5 weeks or what

No @itsywitsy - funded hours don’t roll over between terms if you don’t use them. You can only use a maximum of 30 hours a week across up to 38 weeks per year, depending on what entitlements you're using. So if your child only attends two days a week, you’ll just use the number of funded hours that your provider fits into those days.

How you spread the hours in the term all depends on the agreement you have with your provider about how you use your hours. They can help you work out the best way to use them - and some offer a “stretched” option where the hours are spread across up to 52 weeks of the year rather than 38 weeks (term time only), so you will use fewer hours over more weeks.

All registered childminders in England, who look after children aged 8 and under, must be inspected and registered with Ofsted (or a registered childminder agency) – that’s the baseline. To offer the funded 30 hours, they also need to be signed up with their local authority to deliver the scheme.

There’s no “extra” qualification beyond that, but it’s worth checking:

• They (or the childminder agency they're registered with) are on the Ofsted register - you can search online here: https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/childcare
• They have a recent inspection report you’re happy with
• They confirm they can take funded hours and know how to claim them

All childminders looking after children under 5 must meet the standards set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework. Ofsted / childminder agencies assess childminders against this statutory framework.

Your local Family Information Service can also give you a list of childminders in your area who offer the funded entitlement. I hope that helps @Beabeautiful!

is this positive?

My husband starts his new job a week after the start of September term. Is my DS still allowed to start his funded nursery place at the very beginning of the term?

I have been claiming 15 hours free childcare for my son who's now 17 moths old. We started in January and opted for non stretched hours meaning our 38 weeks a year free has been used up. Will this entitlement for 30 free hours reset in January or September? Confused as to when this resets