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

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.

From September 2024, 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.

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. 

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 £167 per week (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

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

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