30 funded hours from 9 months

Since September 2025, working parents in England can get up to 30 funded hours of childcare a week from when their child is 9 months old until they start reception. The government calls it Free Childcare for Working Parents. Here is how it works in 2026–27.

What you get

• 30 hours a week for 38 weeks a year, which is 1,140 hours a year.
• From the term after your child turns 9 months, until they start reception.
• Only at a registered provider that offers funded places: a nursery, pre-school, childminder or school nursery.

You can take fewer hours over more weeks if your provider offers a stretched offer. For example, 1,140 hours over 51 weeks is about 22.35 hours a week. Our stretched funding calculator works it out.

From age 3, every child also gets the universal 15 hours. For working families those 15 are part of the 30, not on top.

Who qualifies

You (and your partner, if you have one) must:

• be working, or starting a new job. Being on sick leave, annual leave, or maternity, paternity, adoption or shared parental leave counts.
• each expect to earn at least the minimum wage for 16 hours a week on average over the next 3 months. For someone aged 21 or over that is £2,643.68 over 3 months (£203.36 a week). Self-employed parents who started their business less than 12 months ago are an exception.
• each expect adjusted net income of £100,000 or less in the current tax year. See adjusted net income.
• usually have a National Insurance number and the right immigration status.

There are exceptions. If one partner works and the other cannot, for example because they get Carer’s Allowance or certain disability or incapacity benefits, you may still qualify. Foster carers apply through their council. Check the details on gov.uk, or use our funded hours checker for a quick answer.

When the hours start

Funded hours start on one of three dates: 1 January, 1 April or 1 September, the first one after your child turns 9 months.

So a baby who turns 9 months on 15 October can start funded hours on 1 January. Our funded hours start date tool works out the dates from your child’s date of birth.

How to apply

1. Apply online through your childcare account on gov.uk, from when your child is 23 weeks old. The same application checks whether you can get Tax-Free Childcare.
2. If you qualify you get an 11-digit childcare code.
3. Give the code to your nursery along with your National Insurance number and your child’s date of birth. The nursery checks it with the council.
4. Reconfirm every 3 months in your childcare account. You will get reminders. If you no longer qualify, a grace period usually lets your child keep the place for a while.

Apply a few weeks before the deadline so you have time to pass the code on.

What it does and does not cover

The funded hours themselves are free. Nurseries can still charge for optional extras such as meals, nappies and trips, and for any hours you book on top. Many all-year nurseries spread the 1,140 hours across 51 weeks and charge the rest of your booking at their normal rate. Read what funded hours really cover and use our childcare cost calculator to see your monthly bill.

Not every nursery has funded places for babies, so ask early. Our area pages let you filter for nurseries offering funded places from 9 months, and our funded hours by borough pages show how many accept each scheme.