Changes to Childcare Support
Upcoming changes to childcare support | Childcare choices
Starting from April 2024, existing childcare support will be expanded in phases. By September 2025, most working families with children under the age of 5 will be entitled to 30 hours of childcare support.
The changes are being introduced gradually to make sure that providers can meet the needs of more families. This means that:
- From April 2024 - eligible working parents of 2-year-olds will be able to access 15 hours of free childcare.
- From September 2024 - eligible working parents of children aged 9 to 23 months can access 15 hours of free childcare.
- From September 2025 - eligible working parents of children aged nine months upwards can access 30 hours of free childcare per week, right up to their child starting school.
Like the existing offer, depending on your provider, these hours can be used over 38 weeks of the year or up to 52 weeks if you use fewer than your total hours per week.
Eligible working parents
You or your partner must work at least 16 hours per week and not earn more than £100,000 to be eligible for this expanded funding. You will be able to check full eligibility criteria on the Childcare Choices website, when the application process opens.
When can I apply?
Children are entitled to the funded hours from the term after the age they become eligible:
- Children born between 1 January and 31 March become eligible from 1 April
- Children born between 1 April and 31 August become eligible from 1 September
- Children born between 1 September and 31 December become eligible from 1 January
How to apply?
Applications for working parents of 2-year-olds, will open from 2nd January 2024 on the Childcare Choices website. The online application process will tell you the full eligibility criteria and what you need to provide when you apply. You should find out if you’re eligible straight away, but it can take up to 7 days.
What happens next?
If approved, a childcare account will be set up and you’ll get a code to give to your childcare provider to access the funding.Because the first phase applies from 1st April 2024, parents that apply from 2nd January will need to reconfirm eligibility before you have had a chance to use the code.
Every 3 months you must reconfirm your eligibility, via your childcare account, to keep your code valid.
Further details will be available on the Childcare Choices website.