Attention working families: applications are now open for eligible children, aged from only 9 months, to receive 1140 hours of free childcare per year from September 2025. What’s noteworthy is that this will be the first time such young infants and toddlers can access so many free hours. It effectively doubles the number of free childcare hours previously available to those under 2 via the scheme. The new, extended funding is for eligible working families, who now have until the 31st of August to apply if they would like their child(ren) to start in the September 2025 term.
This will be the first time that eligible babies (9m+) and children aged up to 2 will have access to so many free hours!
Read on to learn more about what’s available through this newly extended funding scheme, eligibility criteria, application deadlines, and more.
Don’t Miss the Deadline!
The application deadline for the September 2025 term is the 31st of August.
If this deadline is missed, parents must apply for a later term.*
* Under the rules of the Government funding scheme, terms officially start on the 1st of September, January, and April respectively and applications for each need to be made before the end of the preceding term. Childcare providers cannot provide funded childcare places without a valid childcare code from the outset. It’s therefore advisable to apply in good time and avoid leaving applications to the last minute.
Children who start early years education early are more likely to attend higher education and earn more during adulthood.
Benefits of the Scheme
This newly extended scheme will be profoundly beneficial to parents, children, the business world, and the economy. Let’s take a look:
This particular childcare funding scheme is for working parents. If eligible, it may save them as much as £7,500 in annual childcare costs for each eligible child in their household. The extended childcare hours are likely to be welcomed by families, particularly mothers who have recently been on maternity leave and wish to get back into the workplace — or otherwise extend existing working hours. By doing so, they can help increase household income, help businesses grow by filling vacancies, and even boost the U.K. economy as a whole.
Studies show that starting a high-quality childcare nursery or preschool before the age of 2 improves children’s cognitive, language, social and emotional development.
As you can see in some of the quotations above and below, children will benefit hugely if they start at nursery/preschool young; a good early years education has been proven to boost children’s prospects far into the future.
All in all, this newly extended childcare funding will be a win-win for everyone!
Beginning childcare before the age of 3 is proven to boost academic achievement and reduce behavioural problems far into the future.
Learn more about the profound benefits of starting nursery young and a good early years education here.
How Can the ‘30 Hours’ be Taken?
For those eligible, the 1140 hours of free childcare are most commonly taken as 30 hours per week over 38 weeks of the year. That’s usually term-time, i.e. mirroring typical school terms. That said, many nurseries, preschools and childcare providers allow some flexibility. For example, they may allow families to spread the free hours out more thinly each week so that they extend over more weeks of the year, perhaps including school holidays. However, the availability of such options will vary from childcare setting to childcare setting, so check with your specific provider.
Who is Eligible for ‘30 Hours’ Childcare Funding?
The funded childcare is for children of working parents with earnings within the specific range outlined below. Under this scheme, children receiving the free hours from the September 2025 term must be aged no less than 9 months old on 1st September 2025 and free funding for those who remain eligible is available right up until school age.
The key eligibility rules for the extended funding hinge mainly on parents’ household income:
- The child(ren)’s parent(s) and partner if they have one must earn no more than £100,000 per annum.
- The minimum they must be working is the equivalent of 16 hours a week at the National Minimum Wage or more. (Since April 2025 that’s equated to about £195 per week for those aged 23 and over, £160 per week for those aged 18 to 20, and £120 per week for those below 18).
- They must also have an NI number.
With that said, there are other circumstances where families may still be eligible for free childcare funding even if they don’t fit the key criteria outlined above. Examples may include those on maternity, paternity, adoption, or sick leave and foster carers. More detail about eligibility rules for working parents is available here. Those who are not eligible as working parents but are disabled or receive certain Government benefits/assistance may be eligible for free childcare under one or more alternative funding schemes.
How to Quickly & Easily Check Your Eligibility for ‘30 Hours’ Childcare Funding
The fastest and easiest way to check your eligibility for any of the schemes is to visit this page and enter some simple details (you do not need to register to use the interactive funding calculator). Within just a few seconds, you’ll know which childcare funding scheme(s) your child may be eligible for!
How to Apply for the Funding
If you’d like to proceed, apply on the Government’s official website here. Don’t forget that the application deadline for the September term is the 31st of August immediately preceding it. Good luck!
Possible Caveats
Note that some childcare providers may only have a specific number of funded places available. Note, too, that the funding does not usually cover extras, e.g. nappies, the cost of any outings, food, and extra hours. So, it’s best to contact your chosen provider for clarification on all such details.
Reconfirm Eligibility Quarterly
To continue receiving your funded childcare, you’ll need to reconfirm your eligibility every three months. You should do this via your Government Childcare Account and failure to do so is likely to mean you’ll miss out on continued free childcare for your child — so it’s very important.
Nursery Places at Little Acorns in Padiham, Lancashire
The best start in life for babies and children under 5
As our families regularly confirm, Little Acorns in Padiham is a highly-regarded childcare nursery that attracts wonderful feedback, 5-star ratings and reviews. We strive to help every child flourish, become the best version of themselves, and feel loved and valued. If you’d like to enquire about a possible nursery place for your baby or child under five at this wonderful nursery in Padiham, please get in touch. Families living nearby in locations like Hapton, Rose Grove, Burnley, Altham, Huncoat, Read, Simonstone, Sabden, Higham and Wood End may also find Little Acorns Nursery convenient for their childcare requirements. Please choose an option below to begin your child’s exciting journey with Little Acorns Nursery, Padiham:
Today, we remind Padiham families that Little Acorns Nursery supports the new — free — childcare scheme for eligible children including babies as young as just 9 months of age. Although it’s available only to eligible working families, the bar to entry is fairly low. The childcare funding is therefore attainable for many families. This free childcare is not just limited to babies either and, what’s more, it’s due to become even more generous from September 2025. In our guide below we’ll outline who is eligible, how much childcare funding they can access, how many childcare hours that equates to, and what the eligibility criteria are. If you’re the parent of a baby, toddler, or child up to three years old, this is for you.
For those working families who are eligible, the scheme provides 570 hours per year of free childcare to children aged from 9 months to 3 years. This is normally taken as 15 hours per week for 38 weeks, usually aligning with the standard educational term-time weeks for school timetables. That said, it may be possible to stretch the hours over more weeks of the year if your childcare provider is able to accommodate such flexibility.
We’ll try to simplify the eligibility criteria for you. Whether it’s for a baby aged 9 months, a toddler of 1 or 2, or a child aged 3 or 4, there are essentially four main criteria for this specific type of childcare funding:
Well, it’s good news. It’s already the case that all 3 and 4-year-olds living in England are eligible to receive 570 hours (15 per week) of free childcare anyway. That’s available under what’s known as ‘Universal Entitlement’, a Government childcare funding scheme that’s been around for some time. What’s more, those working families that are eligible for the ‘new’ free childcare for children aged 9 months to 3 years are also likely to be eligible for a top-up of their child’s Universal Entitlement once they reach the ages of 3 and 4. In those cases, they’ll be entitled to 30 hours per week over 38 weeks (or however the 1140 free hours are spread out). That’s because the eligibility criteria are the same (see section above).
Usually, you will need to pay for childcare costs first and then reclaim them through your Universal Credit childcare support account. However, there are some circumstances where you may be able to get some of your childcare costs paid upfront through the scheme. This recent change is designed to help families essentially with cash flow so that a major barrier to working is removed. That, in turn, will also help the economy.
Then, in early February, to our surprise and absolute delight, we received correspondence notably featuring a postmark from Buckingham Palace and a Royal crest. It was addressed to the children and staff at Little Acorns Nursery, Padiham. Inside was a beautiful and heartfelt reply card and message, sent by none other than King Charles himself!
The eagle-eyed will notice that the little photo above also shows one of the nursery children’s most popular books, “Where’s Mrs Queen?” by Ingela P Arrhenius. Part of a series, this ‘early years’ book features charming illustrations and interactive felt flaps inside. The children can use these to reveal London-themed characters like a policeman, a bus driver, a soldier and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II herself (and a corgi dog, of course). The final page even integrates a surprise mirror, so the children can reveal their own faces — much to their delight and amusement! It’s a simple but fun, interactive and, importantly, sensory book for the little ones to discover and explore.
If you live in England and have a child aged 3 or 4, this article is for you. Did you know that your child is entitled to free childcare each week? In fact, virtually all children aged 3 or 4 that live in England can get an impressive 570 hours of free childcare each year. Some can even get twice that amount of funded childcare hours. Today we’ll go through what’s available – totally free of charge – and the rules around eligibility.
The ‘15 Hours Free Childcare’ scheme is a Government-funded initiative that provides free early education and childcare for all 3- and 4-year-olds living in England. Under the scheme, eligible children are entitled to 15 hours of free childcare each week, usually spread over 38 weeks, to total 570 hours per year. Optionally, however, some families may choose to have their child attend a childcare setting for less than 15 hours per week but spread the free hour allowance throughout the whole year. Others may prefer to take longer breaks during the holidays and using the hours more intensively during term time. Parents/guardians will need to check what’s possible with their particular childcare provider (we try to be as flexible as possible at 
You must be the child’s parent or legal guardian.
The ‘30 Hours Free Childcare’ scheme is a very similar Government-funded initiative that provides eligible families in England with up to 30 hours of free childcare per week. Again, this is for children aged 3 and 4. The scheme is designed to help working families with the cost of childcare and to support parents who want to return to work or increase their hours.
You are usually still be eligible if you are off work on annual leave or sick leave, or parental leave if it is not being taken for the same child you are claiming childcare funding for.