{"id":2334,"date":"2024-03-26T15:55:50","date_gmt":"2024-03-26T15:55:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/progress.aaceuk.co.uk\/?p=2334"},"modified":"2025-02-05T11:08:23","modified_gmt":"2025-02-05T11:08:23","slug":"who-gets-15-and-30-hours-of-free-childcare-and-how-do-i-apply","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/progresslearningcentre.com\/index.php\/who-gets-15-and-30-hours-of-free-childcare-and-how-do-i-apply\/","title":{"rendered":"Who gets 15 and 30 hours of free childcare and how do I apply?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>The deadline is approaching for working parents in England who want to apply for 15 hours of free weekly childcare for their two-year-olds.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The government hopes that extending free childcare to this age group from April 2024 &#8211; and to all under-5s in 2025 &#8211; will get more parents back to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What free childcare can I get?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Extra help with childcare costs in England is being rolled out in stages. Some free hours are already available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The help you can get depends on the age of your child, and whether you are working, or receiving certain benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Working parents can get:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>15 hours free childcare a week for two-year-olds&nbsp;<strong>from April 2024<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>15 hours free childcare for nine month olds&nbsp;<strong>from September 2024<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/apply-free-childcare-if-youre-working\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">30 hours free childcare for three and four-year-olds<\/a><strong>&nbsp;is already available<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>30 hours free childcare for all under-5s&nbsp;<strong>from September 2025<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>To qualify for the new hours,&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/check-eligible-free-childcare-if-youre-working\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the majority of parents must earn more than \u00a38,670<\/a>, but less than \u00a3100,000 per year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Those on certain benefits can already get:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/help-with-childcare-costs\/free-childcare-2-year-olds\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">15 hours free childcare for two-year-olds<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/help-with-childcare-costs\/free-childcare-and-education-for-2-to-4-year-olds\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">15 hours free childcare for three and four-year-olds<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If you don&#8217;t work, you might still be eligible for\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/check-eligible-free-childcare-if-youre-working\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">30 hours of free childcare<\/a>\u00a0if your partner works, or you receive certain benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do working parents apply for free childcare hours?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Parents should apply before the start of the term when their child will be eligible &#8211; ie before April, September or January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The deadline to get free hours for two-year-olds in the spring term is 31 March.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you miss it you won&#8217;t be able to start using free hours from April.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Applications for parents of nine-month-olds open on 12 May for the September term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Parents are\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/apply-free-childcare-if-youre-working\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">advised to apply<\/a>\u00a0as soon as possible in all instances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once approved, you&#8217;ll get a code to give to your&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/help-with-childcare-costs\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">officially-registered childcare provider<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Free childcare hours are designed to be used over 38 weeks of the year &#8211; during school term time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, some providers will stretch them over 52 weeks if you use fewer hours per week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The government website has details of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/apply-free-childcare-if-youre-working?step-by-step-nav=f517cd57-3c18-4bb9-aa8b-1b907e279bf9&amp;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the deadlines to apply for each age group<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What isn&#8217;t covered by the free childcare hours?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The government is increasing the hourly rate it pays childcare providers offering free hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, in many cases, this rate does not cover the full cost of the childcare. So,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-58242686\">some providers charge for extras<\/a>&nbsp;like meals, nappies, sun cream or trips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Department for Education says all additional costs are voluntary, and parents should be told they can supply their own food and supplies, to make their childcare entirely free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, the charity Pregnant Then Screwed says its research found&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pregnantthenscrewed.com\/shocking-new-stats-about-the-cost-of-parenting\/#:~:text=Whilst%2090%25%20of%20parents%20in,access%20those%20hours%20due%20to\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">almost a quarter (23%) of parents said they couldn&#8217;t afford to access free childcare hours because of to top-up fees<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/education-65650474\">Extra free childcare helps higher earners &#8211; report<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How expensive is UK childcare?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The average cost of full-time nursery (50 hours a week) for a child under two in Britain will be \u00a315,709 across 2024 according to Coram, up from just under \u00a315,000 in 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Actual costs can vary significantly depending on where you live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But Coram&#8217;s 2024 figure represents about 45% of average pay for a full-time worker in the UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Are there enough childcare places?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>By the time the expanded scheme is fully rolled-out in September 2025,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/education-67274943\">demand for childcare places is likely to have risen 15%<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That&#8217;s equivalent to more than 100,000 additional children requiring full-time care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But the number of childcare places in England fell slightly in 2023, mainly because of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/education-66237789\">childminders leaving the sector<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the children&#8217;s charity Coram,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/education-68580918\">the availability of nursery and childminder places has worsened<\/a>&nbsp;for all ages of pre-school children across England, Scotland and Wales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It says fewer than a third of councils (29%) have enough spaces for under-twos in 2024, down from 42% in 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"751\" height=\"718\" src=\"https:\/\/progresslearningcentre.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/report.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2335\" style=\"width:678px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The Department for Education doesn&#8217;t yet have figures for the numbers who have signed up, but says&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/statistics\/childcare-and-early-years-providers-survey-2023\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">childcare staffing rose by 4% across 2023 as a whole<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the 2024 Budget, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said the government would guarantee payments to childcare providers for two years to help provide stability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He previously told the BBC he could not give &#8220;an absolute guarantee&#8221; that all the places needed would all be available in time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-68591169\">Scottish childminder numbers halve in a decade<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What childcare help is available in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Although all three and four-year-olds are entitled to some free childcare across the UK, different schemes operate in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mygov.scot\/childcare-costs-help\/funded-early-learning-and-childcare\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Scotland<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.wales\/get-30-hours-childcare-3-and-4-year-olds\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Wales<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nidirect.gov.uk\/information-and-services\/parenting-and-childcare\/childcare\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Northern Ireland<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In each case, care must be delivered by officially-registered providers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-66717025\">Scotland: Humza Yousaf announces plan to improve childcare<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64956500\">What help is there with childcare costs in Wales?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What other financial help can parents get for childcare costs?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Parents may be entitled to other support, including the UK-wide&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/tax-free-childcare\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">tax-free childcare scheme<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For every \u00a38 you pay into an online childcare account, the government adds \u00a32 (up to \u00a32,000 per child per year, or \u00a34,000 for disabled children).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Parents who qualify for free childcare hours can save in the tax-free scheme as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/care-to-learn?utm_source=childcarechoices&amp;utm_medium=microsite&amp;\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Care to Learn scheme<\/a>&nbsp;offers further help to student parents who are under 20 at the start of their course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The government has a&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/childcare-calculator\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">childcare calculator<\/a>&nbsp;to help compare available schemes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-68500022\">How are the child benefit rules changing?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The deadline is approaching for working parents in England who want to apply for 15 hours of free weekly childcare for their two-year-olds. The government hopes that extending free childcare to this age group from April 2024 &#8211; and to all under-5s in 2025 &#8211; will get more parents back to work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3269,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2334","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/progresslearningcentre.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2334","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/progresslearningcentre.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/progresslearningcentre.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progresslearningcentre.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progresslearningcentre.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2334"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/progresslearningcentre.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2334\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progresslearningcentre.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3269"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/progresslearningcentre.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2334"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progresslearningcentre.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2334"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progresslearningcentre.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2334"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}