New Childcare Funding: Childcare Expansion September 2024

From September 2024, the UK government will expand the new childcare funding to support working families with young children. This new funding aims to make childcare more affordable and accessible for families. 

The fundamental changes happening in September 2024 is the introduction of 15 hours of childcare for eligible working parents’ of children +9 months.

This new childcare funding represents a significant investment by the government into early years education and care. By subsidising childcare costs, the goal is to make it easier for parents to work while ensuring their children benefit from high-quality early education.   

The new funding rules have been designed to provide flexibility and options for families. They also focus on ensuring that funded places are delivered by childcare providers that meet quality standards. 

These changes signify a critical step in supporting families with young children and investing in the early years. In this blog, we will summarise the key details of all funding so families can understand the support available to them from September 2024. 

 

 

Eligibility 

If eligible, 9-month-olds can get up to 15 hours of funded childcare, starting in September 2024. Families with a 9-month-old child can receive funding to support up to 570 hours of childcare each year from the start of the term after they turn 9 months - see section below on Term Times.  

Parents can visit www.childcarechoices.gov.uk to check their eligibility and for details on how to apply. 

If eligible, 2-year-olds can get up to 15 hours of funded childcare. This support covers up to 570 hours per year starting from the school term after the child's second birthday - see section below on Term Times. To qualify for the 15 hours of free childcare, the parents must meet the specific eligibility criteria. 

There are two sets of criteria for the two-year funding.

Parents of 2-year-old children who are working may be eligible for funding. To check eligibility and find out how to apply, visit www.childcarechoices.gov.uk.

If parents receive any of the following benefits, they can claim eligibility through their local authority. This is not claimed through childcare services, it must be claimed through the local authority directly where the nursery is based. 

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

If you move from one provider to another within the same local authority, you do not need to apply for a new eligibility code. However, if you move to a nursery in a different local authority, this cannot be transferred and you must obtain a new eligibility code. (This is only applicable for 2-year-old funding).

Universal funding for 3 and 4-year-olds: starts from the school term following their third birthday, all 3 and 4-year-olds are entitled to 15 hours of "universal" funded childcare - see the section below on Term Times. This provides support for up to 570 hours of childcare annually.

Parents do not need to apply for this funding (by obtaining an eligibility code); however, they must complete a parent declaration form and send it to the nursery provider.  

Please note: If your child attends Fennies please send all eligibility codes and parent declaration forms to funding@fennies.com!

Enhanced Support for Working Families with 3 and 4-Year-Olds: Starting from the school term after their third birthday, eligible 3 and 4-year-olds can access 30 hours of "extended" funded childcare - see the section below on Term Times. This provides up to 1140 hours of support annually.

Parents can visit www.childcarechoices.gov.uk to check their eligibility and for details on how to apply. An eligibility code and parent declaration form must be submitted for 3 and 4 year old extended funding.  

Term Times - When does my child become eligible?  

Children become eligible for funding from the start of the term after they reach the eligible age.

For children born between:

• AUTUMN TERM - 1st September and 31st December: Eligibility starts when turning 9 months, 2 years, or 3 years old on or before the 31st of August.
• SPRING TERM - 1st January to 31st March: Eligibility starts when turning 9 months, 2 years, or 3 years old on or before the 31st of December.‍
• SUMMER TERM - 1st April to 31st August: Eligibility starts when turning 9 months, 2 years, or 3 years old on or before the 31st of March.

Stretched Funding at Fennies

The standard 15—or 30-hour funding is allocated over 38 weeks of the year (term-time only). At Fennies, we stretch our funding over the 52 weeks, as we are open all year round and apply up to 11- 16.5 or 22-hour funding per week, which provides more consistency over the course of the year. 

15 x 38 = 570 hours per year 

11 x 52 = 572 hours per year

Parent Declaration Form 

Families in receipt of funding will be asked to complete a Parent Declaration Form. Parents can find their local Parent Declaration form here. The form should be for the local authority your nursery is in, not of your home address. If you are unsure which local authority your nursery is in, please speak to your Nursery Manager.  Nurseries cannot make funding claims without this form being completed and returned. 

From September 2024, working parents will receive the following funding hours.  

Age 9 - 23 months  | 15 hours of free childcare 

Age 24 - 35 months | 15 hours of free childcare 

Age 36 months + | 15/30 hours of free childcare 

Applying for Funding  

Visit www.childcarechoices.gov.uk to check eligibility and for details on applying. The site is now live. 

It's recommended that parents apply as early as possible to ensure funding is in place at the start of each term. 

To apply, parents will need to submit an online or paper application. Parents will need:

• Their National Insurance number
• The UK birth certificate reference number of the child 
• The date they started or are due to start work

The application will ask parents to confirm their eligibility based on criteria like income level, benefits received, and the child's age. Supporting documentation may be required in some cases.   

Once approved, parents will receive a code to give to their chosen provider confirming the allocated funding hours. Once complete, Fennies parents can find their local Parent Declaration form here, which needs to be completed and returned to the nursery provider. This is the local authority that your nursery is in, not of your home address. If you are unsure which local authority it is in, please speak to your Nursery Manager. 

Please note eligibility codes must be reconfirmed every three months, parents will be sent reminders by HM Revenue when this is required.