Thousands of parents in England set to be handed £6,900 back from today

Mums and dads of children from nine-months old are now entitled to 15 hours free childcare from today. To be eligible for this expanded funding, parents must earn a minimum of the equivalent of 16 hours a week at minimum wage, but less than £100,000 a year.

Working parents of children aged nine months and older will be able to access the full 30 hours a week from September 2025, providing they are eligible. Free childcare hours are usually taken over 38 weeks (to cover term time) but you can normally spread it out to cover more weeks by using fewer hours a week.

The historic rollout will deliver direct government support with childcare costs from the term after their child turns 9 months old, until they start school. By September 2025, support will increase to 30 government-funded hours a week, saving families an average of £6,900 per year, according to the previous Conservative Party government.

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Jason Elsom, Chief Executive of Parentkind said: “We welcome all help for families to ease the burden on family finances at a time when many families are really struggling. Parents tell us that childcare costs are a major concern, and they support action to bring costs down and help families at that crucial time between the end of maternity leave and previous financial support kicking in. It is right we do everything we can to support parents, particularly when children are young.”

Purnima Tanuku OBE, Chief Executive of National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) said: “We support the government’s commitment to investing in our youngest children’s futures. This is something that families really need in order to give their children the best start in life and also enable parents to work.

“Supporting children early in their development means they have the foundations for learning and the necessary social skills to give them a brighter future, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. We are keen for all children to have access to early education and care – the early investment pays dividends in their later education in improving life chances.

“Early educators are also best placed to identify children with additional needs early on which can make a huge difference so any additional training resources for them will be very welcome.”