Free childcare hours – what you need to know
We all know that having a child in childcare is like having a second mortgage. There are several things available now that may help with the costs that you might not know about.
Firstly, you need to research your local nurseries and childcare providers. If you don’t know where to start with this, check out our types of childcare checklist to help you understand all the different options.
Depending on where you live and how high demand is you may want to do this before your child is born and put their name down for when you would like them to start. Providers might not have the availability you need, so it is easier to find out this before you are facing a return to work and feeling a bit stuck. With the changes to free hours coming into force you may find availability limited as demand increases. Check out our choosing a day nursery checklist for some things to consider.
If you feel that a nursery is too formal a setting for your little one and are looking at the childminder route, the points above still apply in terms of availability. You can read our checklist on choosing a childminder to help you with your decision-making.
The other thing to find out is if your chosen provider accepts the funding available to you and if they have any restrictions. For example, some will let you spread the funded hours across the whole year, others will only allow you to use it in term times. Some will split the day into two 5-hour blocks, some will include lunch in this, others might not, and you will be charged for that hour. Be aware that on funded days most providers will ask you to pay for meals and snacks. This amount will vary depending on the provider. Finding out all of this before you start will help you with budgeting if you understand what the monthly costs will be.
When can I access free childcare?
Now if you live in England and meet the eligibility, the free hours start the term after your child turns three. So, if your child turns 3 between 1 September and 31 December their funding will start on the term beginning on or after 1 January. If your child turns three between 1 January and 31 March their funding will start on the term starting on or after 1 April, and if your child is born 1 April to 31 August their funding will start on or after the term beginning 1 September.
In Scotland, children aged three and above are eligible for free childcare up to 1140 hours (approximately 30 hours a week in term time). Some two-year-olds are also eligible. The Scottish system is looked after by local councils. To see what you are eligible for you can visit your local council’s website for more information.
In Wales, parents can apply for up to 30 hours of free childcare a week but it has to be made up of at least 10 hours of early education and 20 hours of childcare. For more information on this scheme and your eligibility please visit their website.
What is Tax-Free Childcare?
The tax-free childcare account is available to all parents who need to access childcare. You set up a government childcare account and you pay the money here. For every £8 you pay, the government will pay in £2. You can get up to £500 every 3 months (up to £2,000 a year). This money can then be used to pay approved childcare providers, such as childminders, nurseries, and nannies. It can be used until the 1 September after their 11th birthday to pay for breakfast and after-school clubs and play schemes.
You need to check your provider is on the system. They will be able to give you a code to search to ensure you pay the correct provider via the system.
There are eligibility criteria you will need to meet to be able to benefit. These are:
If you are in work (employed or self-employed)
Your income
Your child’s age and circumstances
Your immigration status
There are further eligibility criteria which can be found here.
Free Childcare changes
From September 2024 there will be some changes to the way the free hours will work. 15 free hours a week will be available to working parents of children aged 9 months to three years. From September 2025 this will increase to 30 hours for children aged 9 months until they start school.
Getting your child ready for childcare
It can feel really daunting sending your child into childcare for the first time. You may be having mixed emotions about this, including guilt at being ready for a break. That is all totally normal.
Luckily for you, our experts have come up with some handy checklists to help you get ready:
Written and researched by Victoria Cobley
Victoria is a freelance journalist and content creator with two children aged 5 and 2.