15 Funded hours for all 3 and 4 year olds
All children aged 3 and 4 are able to access 15 funded hours of childcare or early years education.
- The funded hours are up to 570 hours a year.
- This is 15 hours over 38 weeks or fewer hours per week for more weeks in the year.
- This can be taken at registered settings or childcare providers or across more than one setting.
All three and four-year-olds can get funded early education or childcare for 15 hours a week during term time for (38 weeks per year) or spread the hours over the full year (570 hours in total).
You may also be interested in the extended entitlement (an additional 15 hours a week) for working parents. The Childcare Choices website offers a comparison guide for all the ways you could reduce your childcare costs.
When you can claim
Once your child turns three, you can start claiming from the beginning of the next funding period, ie - 1 April, 1 September or 1 January. For example, if your child turns three on 10 April, you will be able to claim from 1 September. Funding will stop when they reach compulsory school age - the term of their fifth birthday, or once a child has accepted and taken up a Reception place, even if only on a part-time basis. For further details, please visit gov.uk.
How to claim
You do not need to apply for this entitlement or have a code to access it.
To claim, you will need to arrange a funded early years place for your child with an eligible childcare provider.
You will be asked by the childcare provider to complete a form before your child starts. You will also be asked to provide identification for your child, such as a birth certificate. This will allow them to check your child is the right age for the universal entitlement. The childcare provider will then submit a claim to us for your child's funded hours.
Choosing a childcare provider
You will need to choose an eligible childcare provider that has capacity to offer you a childcare place for the hours you need. Visit our Childcare Information page where you can search for local provision and look at the types of childcare available. You can find local childcare providers in the Childcare Directory.
Frequently asked questions
We have put together some popular questions to give you more information on childcare funding.
