Help with childcare costs
A variety of funding options are available based on your child's age and your family's circumstances. Explore the details of each offer below.
- 30 hours childcare for eligible working families in England
- 15 hours childcare for all families in England
- 15 hours for 2 year olds receiving support (Best Start)
- Funded childcare for working foster carers
Check what support you might be eligible for
Funded childcare options
| Funding offer | Child aged 9 months to 2 years | Child aged 2 to 3 years | Child aged 3 to 4 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Universal offer (15 hours) | No | No | Yes |
| Two-year-olds from families in receipt of additional support (Best Start) | No | Yes | No |
| Targeted offer for working families | Yes | Yes* | Yes* |
| Targeted offer for fostered children | Yes | Yes | Yes |
*Children aged 2 who qualify for targeted funding through the families in receipt of additional support (Best Start) scheme, along with 3 and 4 year olds eligible for the targeted offer for working families, will receive up to 30 hours of funded childcare in total.
Funding offers may begin from the term following the point at which a child meets both the eligibility criteria and the required age.
| Child turns 9 months, 2 years or 3 years of age between: | Funded entitlement can start: |
|---|---|
| 1 January to 31 March | Summer term - 1 April |
| 1 April to 31 August | Autumn term - 1 September |
| 1 September to 31 December | Spring term - 1 January |
More help with childcare costs
Other options could be available to you to help with the cost of childcare depending on the age of your child, criteria apply.
- Tax-Free Childcare - Available to working families across the UK - including those who are self-employed - with children aged 0 to 11, or up to 16 if your child has a disability.
- Universal Credit Childcare - If you're a working parent receiving Universal Credit, you could claim up to 85% of your childcare costs for children under the age of 17.
- Childcare vouchers and other employer schemes - If you joined one of these schemes on or before 4 October 2018 you might be able to keep getting vouchers or directly contracted childcare.
- School-aged childcare - England is significantly improving services for school-aged children, offering more comprehensive support and increased flexibility for families with children in primary education.
- Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme - The Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme in Herefordshire provides free activities and food to children eligible for benefit-related free school meals, specifically those in reception to year 11.
- Funding support for children with special educational needs and disabilities - You may qualify for financial support to help cover childcare costs, along with extra funding to ensure your childcare provider can meet your child's individual needs.
- Children who are looked after or adopted from care - May be eligible for funded childcare.
Support while you learn
- Care to Learn - For parents under the age of 20 who begin a publicly funded course - such as school or sixth form - may qualify for financial support to help cover childcare costs.
- Discretionary Learner Support - For parents aged 19 or over, studying for NVQ, BTEC or PGCE.
- Childcare Grant - For parents in full time education such as university who have children under 15 years old (or under 17 years for child with special needs).
Families who have No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) when they are 'subject to immigration control'
You will find more information on the early education and childcare page on the NRPF Network website.
Further information
There is more information on help with childcare costs and how to apply on the government's Best Start in Life parent hub.
Find out more about early education and childcare provision including types of provision, finding a provider and how to complain.