From April, the amount of help you can get with the cost of childcare is increasing.
Currently, all parents and carers of 3 and 4-year-olds are entitled to 15 hours a week childcare with registered childcare providers. Working parents and carers of children aged 3-4 can get an additional 15 hours childcare, providing they work more than 16 hours a week and earn less than £100,000. Some eligible parents of 2-year-old children may also be entitled to 15 hours childcare, if they receive additional forms of government support.
From April, the scheme will be expanding.The changes are being introduced gradually:
- From April 2024, eligible working parents of 2-year-olds will be able to access 15 hours childcare support.
- From September 2024, 15 hours childcare support will be extended to eligible working parents of children from the age of 9 months to 3-year-olds.
- From September 2025, eligible working parents of children under the age of 5 will be entitled to 30 hours of childcare a week.
Like the existing offer, depending on your provider, these hours can be used over 38 weeks of the year or up to 52 weeks if you use fewer than your total hours per week.
You can sign up for more details, or find out how and when to register for support with childcare costs at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/
To find out what other help you may be able to get with childcare costs go to https://www.gov.uk/childcare-calculator
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