Childcare for working parents of children aged 9 months to 4 years old

How to check if your child may get up to 15 or 30 hours funded early education a week for 38 weeks and how to apply.

How your child can receive up to 15 or 30 hours a week funded childcare

All 3 and 4-year-olds get 15 hours funded early education a week for 38 weeks a year. 

Working families of 3 and 4-year-olds may get another 15 hours childcare a week. That's up to a total of 30 hours a week for 38 weeks of the year.

Working families of 2-year-olds may get 15 hours childcare a week for 38 weeks of the year.

Working families of 9-month-olds may get 15 hours of funded early education a week for 38 weeks a year.

From September 2025 this will expand to 30 hours. Apply for your funding code before the deadline of 31 August 2025.  

How to apply

  1. Apply through the government's Childcare Choices website.
  2. If successful you will get a code (an 11 digit number).
  3. To book a place take the code to your childcare provider with your child's birth certificate and proof of address. 

Guide to how it works

A child turns 9 months and the working parent/carer gets a code between these dates:

Up to 15/ 30 hours childcare starts from:

1 January to 31 March

1 April

1 April to 31 August

1 September

1 September to 31 December

1 January

Tax-free childcare

You can get up to £500 every 3 months (up to £2,000 a year) for each of your children to help with the costs of childcare. This goes up to £1,000 every 3 months if a child is disabled (up to £4,000 a year).

  • For working families, including the self-employed, in the UK
  • Earning under £100k and at least £195 per week if you're aged 21 or over (equal to 16 hours at the National Minimum or Living Wage) each
  • Who aren't receiving Tax Credits, Universal Credit or childcare vouchers
  • With children aged 0-11 (or 0-16 if disabled)
  • For every £8 you pay into an online account, the government will add an extra £2, up to £2,000 per child per year
  • For further information about eligibility see Get free childcare if you're working: Check if you're eligible - GOV.UK

What you can use Tax-Free Childcare for

You can use it to pay for approved childcare, for example:

  • childminders, nurseries and nannies
  • after school clubs and play schemes

Your childcare provider must be signed up to the scheme before you can pay them and benefit from Tax-Free Childcare.

Apply via Childcare Choices website

Apply or find out more at Childcare Choices.

If you have problems applying or cannot access the internet, phone the government’s helpline on 0300 123 4097.