Talk

Yes - being on paternity leave (whether paid or unpaid) doesn't automatically make you ineligible.

If your husband is usually employed and meets the minimum earnings requirement when working (at least £195 per week), you can still qualify for the funded childcare while he’s on paternity leave. HMRC counts your normal earnings outside of parental leave when assessing eligibility.

Just be sure to reconfirm your details when prompted, and explain the temporary change if needed. You can check your current eligibility on the Childcare Choices website: www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

Hope this helps! @MittensForKittens123

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

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

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!

Yes – you can still get the 30 funded hours for your 3-year-old while you’re on maternity leave, as long as you were working and met the eligibility criteria before starting your leave, and you plan to return to work afterwards. You’ll just need to reconfirm your details every three months in your childcare account to keep the funding going. Hope that helps @Sk1sk0!

Hi @RainyDayApplePop – for the 30 hours funded childcare starting in September, the deadline to apply is 31 August. So you'll need to have applied and received a childcare code by then to use your 30 hours from September.

For the 30 hours funded childcare, you don't need to reapply each term, but you do need to reconfirm your code every three months to confirm you're still eligible. You will receive reminders from HMRC when it is time for you to reconfirm, and you can do this by logging onto your Childcare Account on GOV.UK. Hope that helps @itsywitsy.

You can use your funded hours with any registered childcare provider that’s signed up to deliver the scheme. The key is that the provider needs to be registered with Ofsted, follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and offer the funded entitlement.

It’s worth asking the playgroup directly if they’re registered to provide funded places, and how they deliver the hours. Hope that helps @pushchairprincess

Hi @VidyaS – because you’re on a skilled worker visa without access to public funds, your child wouldn’t be eligible for the 30 hours funded childcare, as the parent who applies for this needs to have recourse to public funds.

You can find more information at Childcare Choices for details.

Hi @MileyM - In Northern Ireland the support is a bit different from the rest of the UK. You can still use Tax-Free Childcare, and there’s also the new Northern Ireland Childcare Subsidy Scheme (NICSS) which gives extra help if your provider is signed up. The best place to start is the Early Years website for Northern Ireland: early-years.org - they’ve got all the details and links to next steps.

Hi @AuthorMama – all 3- and 4-year-olds get 15 hours a week funded childcare (from the term after they turn 3), regardless of parents’ work status. To get 30 hours, both parents usually need to be working and earning at least the minimum threshold, so in your case you would be eligible for the 15hrs of childcare.

You can still use the funded hours at your private/day care if they’re registered - just ask them if they offer the funded hours.

Hi @InNeedOfASideHustle – yes, you’ll usually need to let both your private nursery and your school know you’re switching. Your local council can guide you on any forms or applications needed to transfer your funded hours smoothly, and you should still make sure you reconfirm your code as usual.

Hi @Rose41 – all 3- and 4-year-olds get 15 hours free. The extra 15 hours (making 30) is only for working parents who meet the earnings threshold. If your income is below that, you’d stay on 15 hours. You can find more info on what you can get at www.childcarechoices.gov.uk.

@tori1301 If your baby turns 9 months old in September, they would normally start funded hours from the term after they turn 9 months, which in your case is the January term.

The guidance about applying by 31 August for parents returning to work between 1 May and 30 September applies when the child is already old enough to take the hours that term (usually over 1 year old), so unfortunately, in your situation, even though you’re returning to work in September and have a childcare code, the baby is too young to use the hours until the January term.

I know that’s tough, especially as a single parent needing full-time care. The advice from HMRC and your local provider would be the same: you can’t start the funded hours early just because you’re returning to work — eligibility is based on the baby’s age and the term rules.

You might want to take a look at your eligibility for Tax-Free Childcare, which has the same income criteria as 30 hours, but you don't need to wait for the termly deadline to start using it. You can find out more about Tax-Free Childcare on www.childcarechoices.gov.uk.

You’ll generally need to revalidate your funded hours whenever you change settings. This is to make sure the new nursery or childminder has your correct eligibility and hours on record. You should continue to reconfirm your code every three months, as you would have before changing settings.

Here are some next steps @MumTeach88 - hope this helps:

• Contact your new setting and let them know your child is moving there.
• They will usually ask for your childcare code or to re-check your eligibility.
• Confirm the hours and start date with the new setting so there’s no gap.

If you do this promptly, you shouldn’t lose any funded hours when you start in October.

The rule is that your child becomes eligible the term after they turn 9 months, and the year is split into three windows:

• If they turn 9 months between 1 January and 31 March, they can get funded hours from the April term.
• If they turn 9 months between 1 April and 31 August, they can start from the September term.
• If they turn 9 months between 1 September and 31 December, they can start from the January term.

Because your daughter turned 9 months in July, she falls into the April–August window. That means she should be eligible to start funded hours from September, not January.

You’ve already got your code in place, which is exactly what’s needed. It might be worth pointing your provider or local authority back to the Childcare Choices guidance, as sometimes the dates are misread. Hope that's helpful @MMEBB.

Hi @Kaaldane! Yes, that’s normal. Local authorities sometimes ask for a child’s NHS number when processing funded childcare claims. It’s one of the ways they can check a child’s identity and make sure the funding is being allocated correctly.

Not every council asks for it, but if yours does, it’s simply part of their system for verifying details. Your nursery will pass it on to the council’s funding team, and it won’t be used for anything other than confirming your child’s entitlement.

Hi @TTCJJB! The 31 August deadline is there to make sure parents have an up-to-date code in place before the September term begins. If your code is still valid on that date, you don’t need to reconfirm until your account tells you to – even if that’s a couple of weeks into September.

As long as your code was issued and valid by 31 August, your child’s place will be funded from September including increased hours. You just need to make sure you do reconfirm by your personal deadline (in your case 14 September) so that the code stays active for the following term.