Nursery Funding
Early Years childcare support is expanding.
Eligible working families can now apply for 30 hours of childcare to use from the term after their child turns 9 months until they reach school age.
If you currently receive 15 hours for working families, just reconfirm as usual and the code will work for the 30 hours offer from September 2025, providing you remain eligible.
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 three to four in England can access a universal offer of 15 hours of government funded early education from the term after their child turns three. It doesn't matter how much you earn or how many hours you work.
Parents of two-year-olds can also access 15 hours a week of funded early education and childcare 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 two.
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.
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.
The application process for working parents
To apply for 30 hours government funded childcare, you can sign into your account here.
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.
If you want to get 30 hours from September 2025, then you will need to apply by 31 August. You should speak to your provider to confirm you can use your full 30 hours from September.
You’ll need your Government Gateway user ID to login.
What do I need to do if I’m already claiming 15 hours of funded childcare as a working parent?
If you’re already claiming 15 hours and you work at least 16 hours a week, you can keep reconfirming as normal and if you’re still eligible, it will automatically be updated to 30 hours.
You’ll need to confirm your details are up to date in the usual way and give the code to your childcare provider once you have agreed with them how you would like to use your 30 hours entitlement. You need to agree how many hours you are using from September, which days and billing, terms and conditions with your childcare provider.
How to claim your 15 hours entitlement
If your child is aged three or four, 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:
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Show them a copy of your child's birth certificate
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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.
As with the 30 hours offer, your child becomes eligible from the term after they turn two or three, and the support continues until they start reception class.
This funding provides up to 15 hours of early education and childcare per week for 38 weeks a year.
