Changes to Funded Childcare from April 2024
The Government announced plans to increase access to funded childcare hours to include younger children. The phased introduction of this plan begins in April 2024 through to September 2025:
- From April 2024, children aged two to receive 15 hours of funded childcare
- From September 2024, children aged 9 months also to have access to the 15 hours of funded childcare
- By September 2025, all eligible children aged from 9 months to school age to receive 30 hours of funded childcare
The updated eligibility checker on childcarechoices.gov.uk is live and allows parents to access personalised information on the support available to them, including which of the new transformational childcare offers they will be eligible for depending on the age of their child and earnings.
The website will also give parents the opportunity to sign up for regular updates letting them know when they should take action to make sure they are getting the support they are entitled to – including when the new 15 hours for two-year-olds becomes available for sign-ups, with the offer beginning in April 2024.
Please take some time to check your eligibility to ensure that you take advantage of any government help that may be available to you in the future.
Currently, there are some funding options available to parents / carers such as TAX-FREE CHILDCARE, 15 HOURS FUDNING for 2,3 & 4 years olds, and 30 HOUR FUNDING for 3 & 4 years olds for eligible families.
To find out more about the options available to you, click on the button below.
Update: 22/05/24
Childcare applications for parents of 9-month-olds now open
Working parents whose children will be aged between 9- and 23-months old on 31 August 2024 can apply for their government-funded childcare code via the childcare service, which they then take to their chosen childcare provider to validate.
