In England families have been able to claim 15 to 30 hours of funded childcare for their three to four-year-olds for some time. All children were eligible for 15 hours at the age of three and for eligible working families this increased to 30 hours until the child started school.
Changes to the offer are now in the process of being rolled out. In April the offer was extended for eligible working families to access 15 hours of funded childcare for their two-year-olds. From September this will be extended to include 15 funded hours for nine to 23-month-old children within eligible working families.
By September 2025 all children from eligible working families between the ages of nine months and school age will be able to claim up to 30 funded hours of childcare.
Each part of the UK has a slightly different childcare offer available as childcare is the responsibility of each nation.
In 2021 Scotland expanded its offer for all families, who can now claim up to 1,140 hours a year for their three- and four-year-old children. This works out at approximately 30 hours a week if taken during term time. Each local authority area has its own process for applying so it is best to check your local website to see when and how to apply to ensure you don’t miss out.
Wales also offers working families up to 30 hours of early years care, split between childcare and early education. In Wales both partners must be working but this can include those studying for an undergraduate or postgraduate qualification or enrolled on a further education course that will last 10 weeks or longer.
To find out what you might be entitled to, we recommend looking at Childcare Choices, a website which lets you know what’s available to you based on where you are in the UK and the age of your children.
For further information about childcare, contact educationsupport@aff.org.uk