Starting nursery at 9 months

Many babies start nursery between 9 months and a year, often because a parent is going back to work and because funded hours for working families now start from 9 months. A stable key person and a well-run baby room matter most at this age.

Funded hours at 9 months

Eligible working parents can get up to 30 funded hours a week for 38 weeks from the term after their child turns 9 months: 1 January, 1 April or 1 September. You can apply from when your baby is 23 weeks old, and must have your code by the day before the term starts. Our start date tool works out the dates from your baby’s date of birth, and 30 hours from 9 months explains the rules.

If you are still on maternity or parental leave for this baby, you can only use the hours in a term if you are back at work by 30 September (autumn), 31 January (spring) or 30 April (summer).

Some nurseries have only a few funded places in the baby room, so ask early. If your baby starts before the funded term begins, you pay the full rate for those weeks.

Choosing a baby room

Baby rooms (under 2s) have the tightest legal ratio: one adult to three babies. Look for:

• A named key person who will do most of your baby’s care, and a clear plan for when they are away.
• Calm, clean, uncluttered space with room to crawl and pull up, and quiet areas for sleep.
• Following your routine: naps, feeds and solids, not one timetable for everyone.
• Safe sleep practice: babies sleeping on their backs, in cots, with regular checks.
• Staff who stay: ask how long baby-room staff have worked there.

Our questions to ask on a nursery visit has the full list.

Settling in

Around 8 to 12 months is a common age for separation anxiety, so expect some tears at drop-off. A gradual settling-in over one to two weeks, with a consistent goodbye, helps most babies. See settling in at nursery.

Tell the key person everything that helps: how your baby falls asleep, comforters, feeding cues, words or sounds they use, and what calms them.

Feeding and sleep

• Milk: if you are breastfeeding, ask how the nursery stores and gives expressed milk, and whether you can feed at drop-off or pick-up. If formula, ask whether you supply it.
• Solids: ask about the menu, how food is adapted for babies, and how allergies are managed.
• Sleep: babies often nap differently at nursery at first. Ask how the nursery logs sleep and shares it with you.

Illness in the first months

Babies starting nursery often catch more colds and stomach bugs for a while. Plan for some sick days in the first months, and ask about the nursery’s sickness policy, including how long children must stay away after common illnesses. If you are worried about your baby’s health, talk to your health visitor, GP or NHS 111.

Costs

Baby rooms are usually the most expensive because of the ratios. Use our childcare cost calculator with “Under 2” selected and your funded hours to see the monthly cost, and our cost of nursery by borough pages for typical local fees. Tax-Free Childcare can take 20% off what is left.

Planning ahead

Baby-room places fill earliest. Our when to apply planner builds a timeline from your due date: when to visit, when to register, and the funding deadline for your start term.