Ask us anything about funded childcare - eligibility, applying, and what to expect £100 voucher to be won!

[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)

The 30 hours is for 38 weeks of the year (1140 hours in total). So if your little one attends childcare throughout the year it is down to each provider how they offer the hours over the year. Most nurseries are open 51 weeks of the year so spread the total hours per week over this time, therefore changing the hours available for funding to 22 hours per week. A lot will also say they are only available within set periods of the day with fees due for other hours of the day.

it is down to each setting how they offer the funded hours so ask around when choosing, whether it is a nursery or childminder.

Nursery fees are a just such a huge expense, as are juggling holidays, and making best use of the funding, we get a sibling discount for our second, which is not a lot, but does help slightly, I would want to alternate my hours dependant on our annual leave, and when grandparents help on Mondays and Tuesdays, can I save and carry forward funding to a month when we don't have as much time off nursery to make our budget planning easier.

Does anyone visit nursery settings who apply the funding to your hours to audit that is it being used correctly - and can we apply to see this - I really don't understand whether my invoices from the nursery is correct, as it's so complicated - I really can't get any clarity from them.

How easy is it to switch providers if you choose a more suitable setting - what notice should be given, and if you switch can one provider pay another provider some of the funding you have not used ?

No you can't bank hours and a nursery isn't going to be able to accommodate a constantly changing schedule due to ratios.

Change at the end of a term and it's much easier. It's hard to give more specific advice and many nuances to the scheme will depend on your LA.

Any setting can be audited yes. If you dont understand your invoices it is your responsibility to ask the nursery for a breakdown. Rules have changed recently meaning invoices must be itemised.

We are moving area and will miss the start of term in September, can my child start later in the term and still get funded hours?

Thank you for the opportunity to ask! I’m really interested in understanding more about funded childcare, especially how eligibility is determined.
As a parent trying to balance work and family life, affordable childcare is a major concern. I would like to know:

1. What are the main eligibility criteria?
2. For example, is there a minimum or maximum household income threshold? Are both employed and self-employed parents eligible?
3. Does the funding apply to both full-time and part-time childcare?
4. And how many hours per week are typically covered under the scheme?
5. Are there regional differences in how the program is applied (for instance, between England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland)?
6. What is the application process like?
7. Is it done online, and how long does it usually take to receive confirmation?
8. Are there any hidden conditions or things parents should be aware of before applying (like deadlines, approved childcare providers, etc.)?

Getting clear answers to these questions would help many families like mine plan better and feel more confident when returning to work or studies. Thanks again for offering this space for questions—and the chance to win a £100 voucher is a lovely bonus!

I think reducing the age limit to 9 months is a massive help from the government. Prior to this, any working parent would need to fund their childcare costs 100% until they turn 2 or 3.

I see this as a contribution towards making childcare affordable, not 100% free. Yes, the government gives 30 hours a week for free (term time only). As a working parent, you should expect to top up the remaining amount. It’s not unreasonable to ask for a smaller charge than what the government is contributing.

What would have been useful to know is having to reapply for the “30 free hours” code every 3 months - what’s the current process to apply for the code? And how often do you need to update the code - does it still expire after 3 months?

What is the average time for processing your application and can it be backdated if you have a late submission ?

Do earnings have any impact on your eligibility ?

What should you do if you change jobs/ reduce hours after applying for the grant ?

The increase in employer NI contributions has meant settings have increased their fees to take account of this - what happens if fees go up mid term but your funding now makes it unaffordable at this setting and you are looking to move to another setting or a childminder.

I keep reading that your child is eligible for funding "from the term after they turn 9 months old"

Our child will be 9 months in early April 2026, and the next term starts on 22 April 2026, so I would expect to get funding from then. However our nursery have said that they need to turn 9 months before 1st April, and so we can only get funding from September.

Is that correct? Where do these dates come from - everything I've read in many places always says "the term after they turn 9 months".

Nothing about specific cut off dates that don't relate to the actual term dates.

The dates are on this page:

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

My child was born early April too and was only eligible from September.

Is there a list of approved consumable fees and auxiliary fees? I'm so confused as the government has said nurseries should not charge top up fees, but if we are taking nappies, baby wipes and food and drink with us, I'm not sure what these consumables and auxiliary fees actually cover?

Is there any suggestion the new 30 hours offer will be made universal / or at least offer 15 free hours universal care as with 3/4 year olds?

I will have a 1 year old and a 4 year old at nursery next year, and the loss of the 30 hours plus tax free childcare is about £10,000 of post-tax earnings.

For the older child, I will lose about £6,000 of support.

That’s £16,000 of support I lose in total.

Can you split hours / funding across 2 different settings? Thanks.

ffs…

My child was born 28.12.25. Is he eligible from the 29th of November then and when can i apply for it?

That is a date in the future.

Assuming you meant 28/12/24 then your child will turn 9 months on 28/9/25 and therefore will be eligible from January 2026 assuming you return to work on or before 31st January 2026.

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My child currently receives 15 hours and will be eligible for 30 hours in September. Do I have to do anything additional for this? Will it be a new code? My childminder is asking.

No just keep renewing as normal and in the portal your cm will be able to claim up to 30 hours instead of the current 15. You will need to update or complete a new Parent Declaration form.