Working Families: Free childcare for 9 months to two year olds (New 2024)

In September 2024, childcare support was extended to eligible working parents of children from the term following them reaching the age of 9 months. This means they may be entitled to 15 hours free early education over 38 weeks of the year. From September 2025 the number of funded hours will rise to 30.

You can apply for a code from your child being 23 weeks old. However, please note, the code needs to be re-validated every three months, therefore, if it is applied for more than three months in advance of a start date, it will need to be re-validated before childcare begins.

Some providers may allow you to stretch these hours over more weeks, using fewer hours per week.

To check if you are eligible under this new criteria, please set up or log into your Government Gateway account (opens new window) and apply for a code online. 

If you're returning to work or starting a new job

The date you start or return to work will affect when you can apply for free childcare. 

If returning to or starting work between:

• 1 May to 30 September - childcare hours may begin autumn term on or after 1 September
• 1 October to 31 January - childcare hours may begin spring term on or after 1 January
• 1 February to 30 April - childcare hours may begin summer term on or after 1 April

View the eligibility dates for nine months to two years old (PDF, 100 KB)(opens new window)

Disability Access Funding (DAF)

The Disability Access Fund aids access to early years places by, for example, supporting providers in making reasonable adjustments to their provision and/or helping with building capacity.

Children will qualify if they meet the following criteria:

• The child is in receipt of child disability living allowance (DLA) and;

•The child receives free early education.

The providers eligible for the DAF will be entitled to receive a one-off payment of per year. In 2025/26 the amount is £938.

Children in receipt of the DAF will be eligible where they take-up any period of funded entitlement.

DAF is payable as a lump sum once a year per eligible child. If a child is splitting their funded entitlement across two or more providers, parents must nominate the setting to receive the DAF. If a child receiving DAF moves from one setting to another within a financial year, the new setting is not eligible to receive the funding for this child within the same financial year.

Parents must declare their child's eligibility on the parent declaration form.

Providers must send evidence of a child's eligibility to DLA to their funding officer prior to making a claim.