From 1 September 2025, the amount of government funded childcare for eligible working parents, in England, doubled from 15 to 30 hours for children under 2 years old. This means all eligible children can access 30 hours government funded childcare from the term after they turn 9 months old until they start school. This major expansion is helping families nationwide with the cost of quality childcare- with potential savings of up to £7,500 a year per child.
Last year around half a million families secured 15 hours funded places, with 93% of parents getting their first choice of provider according to our Childcare Experiences Survey. Families are using this support to increase their working hours, particularly those on lower incomes.
This childcare offer isn't just about saving money – it also helps children build confidence, learn social skills, and prepare for school.
From 1 September 2025 parents will also be able to visit the new online Best Start in Life parent hub, bringing together trusted information and support for parents from pregnancy through their child’s early years, including childcare and early years education and beyond. It will also include the online eligibility checker, previously available on the Childcare Choices website, to help parents check their eligibility for childcare support.
Here we explain the 30 hours funded childcare scheme for working parents and the 15 hours scheme for families getting additional support, how to access them and apply.
15 and 30 hour funded childcare schemes explained
Parents working between the equivalent of 16 hours a week at National Minimum Wage (£195 per week or £10,158 a year from April 2025) and £100,000 adjusted net income may now be eligible for 30 hours of funded childcare for their children aged at least 9 months. Places are funded from the term after your child turns 9 months old.
If you are not eligible for 30 hours of funded childcare, your child may be eligible for 15 hours instead. All parents of children aged 3 to 4 in England can access a universal offer of 15 hours of government funded early education from the term after their child turns 3. It doesn't matter how much you earn or how many hours you work.
Parents of 2-year-olds can also access 15 hours a week of funded early education if they receive additional forms of support. This includes support like being on Universal Credit and earning less than £15,400 a year, or if your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan, or has been looked after by a local authority. Places are funded from the term after a child turns 2.
For all these schemes, the childcare provider must be approved – so informal providers such as grandparents don’t count.
The funding covers up to 15 or 30 hours of early education and childcare a week for 38 weeks a year. You may be able to spread this funding over more than 38 weeks a year if you take fewer hours over more weeks. You should check with your childcare provider to find out if this is something they offer.
Some providers may ask you to pay for costs to cover extras like meals, nappies or trips. Ask your provider what extras they offer.
Eligibility depends on whether you’re working, your income, your child’s age and circumstances and your immigration status. Full details about eligibility requirements can be found here.
There are different early education and childcare support schemes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The application process for working parents
To apply for 30 hours government funded childcare, you can sign into your account here. You’ll need your Government Gateway user ID to log in. Before starting your application, you may find it helpful to find your child’s birth certificate (if you have one available), and your national insurance number.
You can apply from when your child is 23 weeks old. When you can get your hours from will depend on the date your child turns 9 months old.
Parents who wanted to get 30 hours from September 2025 needed to have applied by 31 August.
If you want to get 30 hours from January 2026, you will need to apply by 31 December. You should speak to your chosen provider to confirm they have places available.
What do I need to do if I previously claimed 15 hours of funded childcare as a working parent?
If you previously claimed 15 hours and you (and your partner, if you have one) still meet the eligibility criteria, you can keep reconfirming as normal and if you’re still eligible, your eligibility code can be used for 30 hours.
You’ll need to confirm your details are up to date in the usual way and you need to agree with your childcare provider in advance how many hours you are using from September. If you’ll be using the hours with a new childcare provider, give the code to your childcare provider once you have agreed with them how you would like to use your 30 hours entitlement.
It’s important to remember that codes need to be reconfirmed every 3 months, so parents may need to reconfirm before taking up their offer.
How to claim your 15 hours entitlement
If your child is aged 3 or 4, you can access the universal 15 hours of government funded early education and childcare without making an application yourself. Your childcare provider will handle this for you automatically. You'll simply need to:
Show them a copy of your child's birth certificate
Sign a declaration form
For parents of 2-year-olds who receive additional forms of support (such as Universal Credit), you should contact your local council to apply for the 15-hour scheme.
Your child becomes eligible from the term after they turn 2 or 3, and the support continues until they start reception class.