Published on July 11, 2024
While previously the cap on free childcare hours was limited to families with slightly older children, aged between 3 and 4 years, the rollout of these childcare hours is designed to capture a much wider group – offering the same support to parents of younger children. The hope is that by making these paid hours of childcare more accessible, whole families will benefit – making it easier for parents to return to work, and granting children access to support, education, and personal development opportunities from a younger age.
In May 2024, applications opened for parents with 9 month old children to access up to 15 hours of free childcare. Keep reading for our take on this update and how to access the funding yourself.
Since April 2024, 15 hours of free childcare have been available to parents with children aged two years and older. The next stage of the rollout is set to begin in September 2024, with applications already open for those with babies who will be aged between 9 months and 13 months in September.
Ultimately, and by September 2025, the aim is for parents with children aged between 9 months and 23 months to be able to access up to 30 hours of free childcare every week. The reason behind the incremental rollout of free hours, and the seemingly large gaps in eligibility release for parents, is the need for more nurseries and more nursery staff.
Inevitably, by making childcare more accessible to more families, the demand on nursery spaces will rise dramatically. The government acknowledges that work needs to be done to support this rise in demand and to ensure that there are sufficient nursery spaces for children who need them.
At the time of this blog’s release in July 2024, 15 hours of childcare are available to parents who are deemed eligible, and who have a child aged between 2 and 3 years. Parents with a child aged between 3 and 4 years can access up to 30 hours of free childcare courtesy of the government.
Applications have recently opened for parents whose babies will be aged between 9 months and 23 months by September 2024. Applications must be submitted by 31st August in order to receive a code and be able to redeem the 15 hours of childcare.
Once a code has been received, it’s important to note that the code will need to be renewed every three months. It is up to each parent to remember to apply for the code in time and to renew their code as required, with this code integral to receiving those paid childcare hours. The code is submitted to the nursery who then uses it to request the funding for each child’s nursery hours.
Wondering if you are classed as eligible? Here’s a quick rundown of the eligibility criteria as published by the government:
- Both parents / the sole parent in such cases must be working in order to redeem childcare hours
- Parents must earn a minimum of the equivalent of 16 hours per week at the national living or minimum wage and less than £100,000 a year
- Parents who are self-employed or on a zero hours-contract must meet the same earnings threshold
If you are a new parent and are wondering what is available to help support your return to work, this depends on how old your child will be in September 2024 and whether they will be old enough to receive the funding this year or next.
The application process is all contained on the UK government website.
Most nurseries are advising parents to check that their chosen nursery accepts children who are using these funded hours before applying, to ensure that you will be able to redeem the hours and use your code.
It is also being recommended that parents contact their chosen nursery early to secure a place for their child. The rise in demand means that nurseries are getting busier, and spaces are being reserved at a faster rate than ever.
In terms of the application process itself, one of the changes is that parents who are still on parental leave can apply for their child’s 15 hours of funded childcare – provided they plan on returning to work before the end of September 2024. For those who plan on returning to work between 1 October 2024 and 31 January 2025, you will be able to apply for a funded childcare code from 1 September 2024 to use from 1 January 2025.
In short, free childcare hours are available to those who require the funding support in order to be able to return to work.
In conclusion, if you have a child who is going to hit 9 months old by or before September 2024, then you can start your application for 15 funded childcare hours now. Head to the government website to do so – taking the time to reach out to your nursery of choice to secure a place and ensure that they accept the government funding as part of the process.
We hope this information helps!
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