Who can get 30 hours free childcare?
All 3 and 4 year olds get up to 15 hours of free childcare per week, and some 2 year olds are also eligible.
The 30 hours free childcare offer is for working families in England with 3 and 4 year old children. Children are eligible from the term following their 3rd birthday until they reach compulsory school age.
Parents must be working and each earning at least the National Minimum or National Living wage for 16 hours a week (£125.28 if you’re over 25). You won’t be able to claim if either you or your partner has a taxable income over £100,000.
You might also be able to get Tax-Free Childcare. If so you can apply for both at the same time.
See GOV.UK for the full eligibility criteria.
How you can use your 30 hours
Up to 30 hours of free childcare is available for 38 weeks of the year (1140 hours, the same as school terms). Some childcare providers may allow you to use your free hours over more weeks by using less hours each week. Speak to your chosen provider to find out how many weeks per year you can spread the funding over.
If you’re using 15 hours of free childcare, ask your provider if they’re offering up to 30 hours. Some providers may not be able to offer more hours, or they may only be able to offer a few extra hours. This may be due to places they have available or their opening times.
You can use funding to pay for more than one childcare provider.
What types of childcare you can use
You can only use the funding with childcare providers registered to access early education funding. This includes:
- childminders
- pre-schools, play groups and nurseries
- out-of-school clubs
- school run early education and childcare provision
