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)

Hi @wellingtonsandwaffles - the rules around additional fees are quite clear - there cannot be any mandatory additional fees in relation to your entitlement hours. They also can't charge you for things like business running costs. If you don't want to pay for consumables, food or trips, speak to your nursery and find out what alternatives they offer. If they insist the charges are mandatory, speak to your local council. If you use additional hours on top of the entitlement hours, those are a private business matter. You may be eligible for Tax-Free Childcare to help with those additional hours.

This will depend on your provider @Deerm. A lot of providers will offer the 30 hours across 38 weeks of the year, during term time. Some providers are open all year round and allow parents to split their hours across up to 52 weeks of the year rather than 38 (term time only), so parents can use fewer hours over more weeks.

30 hours childcare is for children aged 9 months until they start school. You may want to look at your eligibility for other offers, such as Universal Credit Childcare and Tax-Free Childcare. There's more information about these offers and school-aged childcare on the Best Start in Life website: https://www.beststartinlife.gov.uk/childcare-early-years-education

As someone considering a move to England and passionate about early childhood education, I’m curious: How do funded childcare providers accommodate children from multilingual or multicultural backgrounds? Are there nurseries or childminders with experience supporting Arabic- or French-speaking toddlers, and how can parents find the right fit?

If we move areas midway through the term, would we be able to use the 30 funded hours at the next nursery or would we have to reapply for the new term?

Thank you to everyone who shared their questions on this thread - we hope the answers have been helpful!

@TinaWilliamsMumsnet will be posting a few more responses later this week, so keep an eye out for those.

I'm pleased to announce that the winner of the prize draw is @Jadetheobscure1989 - congratulations!

Thanks for your question @LookingAtMyBhunas. If you're eligible, you can start using the hours from the term after your child turns 9 months old - so if your child turns 9 months after 31 March but before 1st September, you should be able to use the hours from September 2026 - there is more information on term dates on the Best Start in Life website: https://www.beststartinlife.gov.uk/childcare-early-years-education/15-and-30-hours-support/working-families/how-it-works

Recourse to public funds means that individuals who are lawfully resident and settled in the UK can access benefits and support if they qualify. Unfortunately, parents without recourse to public funds aren’t eligible for the 30 hours entitlement. All families can still access the universal 15 hours for children aged 3 and 4.

Hey @Lab92 - it’s based on your expected income for the current tax year, not what you earned last year. When you apply, HMRC asks you to declare what you expect to earn over the year ahead. That’s the figure they’ll use to check whether you meet the thresholds (earning the equivalent of at least 16 hours a week at national minimum wage, and under £100,000 adjusted net income per parent).

So in your case, if by the time your baby is old enough for funded hours you’re on maternity pay and your adjusted net income is under £100k for the year, you can still be eligible. The system looks at your circumstances at the point you apply, not your previous year’s earnings.

Hi @EJ1000 - we're not sure this query relates to childcare. You may want to query this with your local authority.

Yes that's right @Oxforddictionary12, it's possible for a parent to split funding so their child spends some time at a nursery and the rest of their hours at a childminder. You should speak to any interested parents and your local authority to ensure you are able to receive the correct amount of funded hours.

To be eligible to recieve the 30 hours, both you and your partner each need to expect to meet the income threshold in the next 3 months.

There is more information about eligibility and meeting the income threshold on the Best Start in Life website: https://www.beststartinlife.gov.uk/childcare-early-years-education/15-and-30-hours-support/working-families/eligibility

Hi @Enobaria - the scheme has termly deadlines to allow providers and local authorities to plan for when children are likely to start a funded place. Unfortunately this means you will not be able to take up a place until January. Depending on your circumstances, you may be eligible for other forms of support such as Tax-Free Childcare, and you can find out more on the Best Start in Life website: https://www.beststartinlife.gov.uk

Hi @Hancor01, thanks for the question. This sounds like an issue with your childcare account - we'd recommend querying this with the Childcare Service helpline: https://www.gov.uk/find-hmrc-contacts/childcare-service-helpline

We encourage parents to secure a place with their chosen provider as early as possible, and apply for funding before the deadline. If your child will be using their hours from January, you will need to apply before 31 December.

You can find information about application deadlines and how to apply on the Best Start in Life website: https://www.beststartinlife.gov.uk/childcare-early-years-education/15-and-30-hours-support/working-families/how-to-apply

30 hours childcare is for eligible working parents - you can check your eligibility on the Best Start in Life website: https://www.beststartinlife.gov.uk/eligibility-checker

You will need to reconfirm your code every 3 months on your childcare account, and as long as you remain eligible you will receive your code.

Hiya @Dazedandconfusedma - yes, if you are on parental leave, like maternity leave, and want funded childcare for an older child, who is not the subject of the parental leave, you may still be able to claim funded childcare if you meet the eligibility criteria.

Hi @GooglieWooglyWooglyWooglyWoo. If your partner is starting work in September, provided you have applied before 31 August and been given a code, you will be able to start your funded place from 1 September.

Hello! Children who became eligible in January 2025 will be entitled to 2 terms (terms beginning January and April 2025) of 15 free hours a week and one term (beginning from September 2025) of 30 hours free hours a week. Hope that helps @Snoopandredbaron

Thanks so much for all your questions, I really hope we've been able to help. Best wishes with everything!
The Childcare Choices website has now become the Best Start in Life website. This brand new website will bring together information and support for parents - from childcare offers and eligibility, to information and support from pregnancy and throughout your child’s early years (and beyond). Visit the hub to find out more: www.beststartinlife.gov.uk

Hi,

is this thread still open? I just got accepted for funded hours but the messages from gov.uk confuse me. It doesn’t say when I’m actually entitled to them just says the term after my baby turns 9 months but when is that? My baby was 9 months 20th September so when is the next term? This is so confusing and the info just isn’t clear.

TIA

She turned 9 months in autumn term so the next term would be spring term. This starts in January. Term dates can vary slightly between counties but you can easily find them on Google for the exact dates.

Thank you. It’s funny how they expect you to know this considering I do not work in schools or even know any child in the UK in a school.

Thanks for your response. Can you please clarify why the government has chosen not to adequately fund nurseries, and isn’t taking into account all 52 weeks of the year? Especially given the very low U.K. wages which haven’t increased in line with inflation, and the COL crisis.

This is extremely disappointing as childcare costs in the UK are exorbitant compared to the Europe and the rest of the world.

We aren’t eligible for any assistance, even though working full time doesn’t cover our nursery costs of £1300 per month (with 30 hours of funding, prior to any funded hours we were paying £1600).

It unfairly penalises working parents, and primarily women, who are the one’s who often end up having to stop working completely, as part-time jobs are impossible to find, or not all jobs are able to be done on a PT basis.

I'm currently looking for work so if I manage to get a job soon how do I arrange for a nursery place and for the 30 hours funding by the time I'd have to start work. Seems like too much that has to be lined up for mum's to be able to go to work. Say if you manage to get a nursery place but miss the childcare code then have to pay for childcare even when not started working yet.

I’m completely baffled regarding when I’d need to return to work to qualify for the free hours for childcare from 9 months old. I think I understand when I’d need to apply for the hours by, but I’m confused as when I need to be “back in work” to qualify.
Due date is 22nd May, so assuming he’s on time will be 9months old by the end of February 2027. So I believe I qualify for the free hours from 1st April and need to apply by 31st March. But I’m confused as to when I need to be back at work to qualify, I intend on being “back at work” but actually on annual leave for a month or so. Would I qualify if I return to work (annual leave) the 24th March?