# Stretched funding calculator

Funded hours are a yearly total: 30 hours a week for 38 term-time weeks is 1,140 hours a year. A nursery open all year can “stretch” them, giving you fewer funded hours each week but in every week, for example 22.35 hours a week over 51 weeks.

Page: https://toddly.co.uk/stretched-funding-calculator (inputs are URL query parameters, so any result can be linked).

## Example: 30 hours stretched over 51 weeks

**22.35 hours a week**

About 4.47 funded hours on each of 5 days.

- Funded hours a year: 30 hours × 38 weeks = 1,140 hours
- Stretched over: 1,140 ÷ 51 weeks = 22.35 hours a week
- Per day: 22.35 ÷ 5 days = 4.47 hours


## Assumptions

- The yearly total is fixed at 38 weeks' worth; stretching changes how it is spread, not how much you get.
- Not every nursery offers a stretched offer, and some stretch over 48 or 50 weeks. Ask which weeks they count.
- Hours are rounded to two decimal places; nurseries often round to the nearest quarter or half hour.

## Next steps

- [What this means for your bill](https://toddly.co.uk/childcare-cost-calculator?days=5&funding=30&weeks=51)
- [Glossary: stretched offer](https://toddly.co.uk/glossary/stretched-offer)

## Frequently asked questions

### How many hours a week is 30 hours stretched?

1,140 hours a year spread over 51 weeks is about 22.35 hours a week; over 50 weeks it is 22.8 and over 52 weeks about 21.92.

### Is the stretched offer worse value?

No. You get the same 1,140 hours a year either way. Stretching suits all-year nurseries; term-time only suits pre-schools and school nurseries.

### Can I use my hours at two nurseries?

Often yes, split between up to two providers a day, depending on your council's rules. The total across both cannot exceed your entitlement.

## Sources

- Free Childcare for Working Parents: https://www.gov.uk/free-childcare-if-working/check-youre-eligible, checked 11 November 2026
- 15 hours for 3 and 4-year-olds: https://www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs/free-childcare-and-education-for-3-to-4-year-olds, checked 11 November 2026