Funded childcare for working parents is available for eligible parents from the term after their child reaches 9 months.
For further information and an eligibility checker, visit the Best Start in Life parent hub.
Apply for working parent entitlements
If you are a foster carer with additional paid employment, speak with your social worker to apply for working parent childcare.
If you are eligible, you will receive an 11-digit code. Give this code to your chosen childcare provider, who can confirm when you can use your code.
When to apply for 30 hours of free childcare
You can apply from when your child is 23 weeks old. If returning to work, you can apply for their code up to 31 days beforehand.
When you can begin accessing your funded childcare will depend on the date your child turns 9 months old and the date you received the code.
You can start accessing your working parent entitlement from the term after your child reaches the age of eligibility with a valid eligibility code.
To begin accessing funded childcare the eligibility code must be in date.
| Child born between | Entitlement begins |
|---|---|
| 1 January to 31 March | Summer term from 1 April |
| 1 April to 31 August | Autumn term from 1 September |
| 1 September to 31 December | Spring term from 1 January |
To continue accessing funded childcare, you must renew eligibility by logging into your childcare account.
If you do not obtain or renew the eligibility code prior to each deadline, your child will not be able to access their working parent entitlements in the following term. The deadlines to apply or renew your eligibility code are 31 March, 31 August and 31 December each year.
If at renewal, your circumstances have changed, and you find that you are no longer eligible for the working parent entitlements, your child can continue to access their funded childcare for a short period. This is referred to as the ‘grace period.’ The ‘grace period’ date is the last date on which your child will receive their funded hours place after falling out of working parent eligibility.
If you do not reconfirm eligibility by the end of the grace period, your working parent entitlement will stop. At that time, if your child is three years old they can continue to receive 15 hours universal funding. If your child is two years old, you may qualify for funded childcare for families in receipt of additional support.
A child cannot start accessing their working parent entitlements or change providers in the grace period.
Funded childcare is normally taken over 38 weeks, providing up to 15 or 30 hours per week, subject to age and eligibility. However, families can stretch this funding further over the year, by using fewer hours per week. You are encouraged to speak to their childcare provider about their model of delivery.
Funded early education and childcare must be with an approved Ofsted registered childcare provider.
Providers may charge you for services purchased such as additional hours requested, meals, nappies, or trips. Your childcare provider will ask you to provide evidence of your child’s date of birth and sign a parent declaration form to receive your funded childcare entitlement.
You may be able to use Tax-Free Childcare or Universal Credit Childcare whilst claiming your funded childcare support. For eligibility criteria and further information visit Best Start in Life.
To find a childcare provider in your area, visit the Family Services Directory.