Funded childcare is the government’s way of helping with childcare costs for parents. At our nurseries, we offer funded childcare spaces stretched throughout the year to offer consistency for children and families.
There are currently three separate government funded childcare schemes that offer funded childcare for children aged 9 months – 4 years old. Each of the funded childcare schemes has different eligibility rules so we have broken down the information below.
Fully funded placements are offered and are subject to availability. Please speak to your preferred nursery’s manager for further information.
Every local authority applies childcare funding slightly differently. To help make things clearer, we have created funding guides tailored to each nursery’s area. Each guide walks you through what funding may be available for your child’s age, how funded hours can fit around your family’s routine, and what to expect when applying, so you can feel informed, supported, and confident in your next steps. Choose your local authority to learn what is available.
Browse our nursery locations to find your nearest setting offering funded childcare and book a tour.
Visit beststartinlife.gov.uk to check your eligibility for funded childcare and apply for your funding code.
Once you've registered at one of our nurseries, submit your funding code using the link provided so we can process your funded childcare application.
We'll only contact you if there are any issues with your code’s validity.
Before your funded childcare begins, you'll receive an email inviting you to complete your parental declaration through Funding Loop.
Reconfirm your eligibility with HMRC every three months, where required, to keep your funding active. If your eligibility remains valid, you do not need to resubmit your funding code to us each term.
15 hours funded childcare
You may be able to receive 570 hours per year if your child is 9 months to 3 years old and you are a working parent/carer. We spread this funding throughout 51 weeks of the year to provide consistency for your child and your family, receiving 11.18 hours per week.
You, and any partner, must each expect to earn (on average) at least £139 per week (equal to 16 hours at the National Minimum or Living Wage). You will still be treated as meeting the earning requirement if you or your partner are on maternity, paternity or adoption leave – this applies whether you are single or in a couple.
If you are in a couple and one of you meets the earning requirements through qualifying paid work but one of you is unable to work because you have a disability or you are a carer, then you will be exempt from the earnings requirement. In this circumstance, one of you must be working and the other would need to evidence that they are unable to work by showing that they are receiving Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance, Carer’s Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance.
You will not have access to the 15 hours funded childcare scheme if either you, or your partner, each individually, expect to earn £100,000 or more.
All funded childcare can be claimed from the term after your child turns 9 months or 2 years old.
You must reconfirm your eligibility every 3 months. If you apply more than 3 months before the term starts, you’ll have to reconfirm your eligibility in your account (which you’ll be given once you have applied for the first time) in order to keep your code valid.
To check eligibility for 15 hours funded childcare, you will need to visit: beststartinlife.gov.uk You will receive an 11-digit funding code. You will need to submit your funding code, your National Insurance number and your child’s date of birth here.
*York local authority – funding starts 1st May.
All 3 to 4-year-olds in England are eligible for 570 funded hours per year up until the term that they start Reception or reach compulsory school age (the term following their 5th birthday). There are no earning or work requirements. We spread this funding throughout 51 weeks of the year to provide consistency for your child and your family, receiving 11.18 hours per week.
You will have access to this funding the term after your child turns 3 (see table)
Your child is automatically entitled to 15 hours funded childcare the term after their third birthday; you do not have to do anything to receive this funding as your chosen childcare provider will do it for you. If you have any questions or queries, your Nursery Manager will be able to help.
30 hours funded childcare
You may be able to receive an additional 570 hours per year on top of the funded entitlement if your child is 3 to 4 years old and you are working parents. This means that with the additional funding, eligible children will receive up to 1,140 hours funded childcare per year. We spread this funding throughout 51 weeks of the year to provide consistency for your child and your family, receiving 22.35 hours per week.
You will not have access to the 30 hours funded childcare scheme if either you, or your partner, each individually, expect to earn £100,000 or more.
All funded childcare starts the term after your child’s 3rd birthday:
To check eligibility for 30 hours funded childcare, you will need to visit: beststartinlife.gov.uk. You will receive an 11-digit funding code. You will need to submit your funding code, your National Insurance number and your child’s date of birth here. You can apply from when your child is 2 years and 36 weeks old
You may be entitled to claim 570 hours funded childcare per year from the government for your 2-year-old. We spread this funding throughout 51 weeks of the year to provide consistency for your child and your family, receiving 11.18 hours per week.
You may be entitled to claim 15 hours funded childcare for your 2-year-old if you live in England and receive one of the following benefits:
If you are not receiving a qualifying benefit, 2-year-olds can also get funded childcare if they:
You will have access to this funding the term after your child turns 2 (see table below):
Procedures to apply for 2-year-old funding differ across Local Authorities. You should speak to your Health Visitor, Nursery Manager or look online at your Local Authority website.
The date you start or return to work will affect when you can apply for free childcare.
The Old Station Nursery Group settings provide the opportunity to stretch the funding. Sessions can vary across our nurseries, so please speak to the Nursery Manager, who can tell you how the funded sessions are offered and the additional service charge for each funded session.
Government funding is intended to cover the cost to deliver 15 or 30 hours a week of free, high-quality, flexible childcare. It is not intended to cover the cost of meals, consumables, Enhancements, or additional hours.
An Additional Service Charge (ASC) will be applied to all funded sessions to cover these costs including morning/afternoon snacks, lunch, tea and drinks (dependent on the session your child attends) & Enhancements. For more information on these details please speak to your chosen nursery.
Got questions about fees and funded childcare? Our FAQ section breaks down everything you need to know about the costs involved and how to access funding. We’ll help you understand your options so you can make informed decisions and get the support you need.
Yes, to do this you will need to provide your eligibility code and information to each provider and you will not be able to access more than two sites in one day. Each provider may calculate your funding on either term-time only or all year-round basis, combined the providers cannot exceed the funded offer of 15-hours, 570 hours per year, and 30-hours – 1140 hours per year.
Yes, you can use the free code from your previous nursery as long as it is still valid. These codes typically migrate with the child and can be used from the following term.
You can submit a new application any time you meet the eligibility criteria for childcare entitlements or Tax-Free Childcare. You must then present your code to your provider to confirm your place can continue from the following term.
If you have two codes, one from your letter beginning with 11, and one from the website beginning with 50, please send the nursery the code from the website beginning with 50, as this is your permanent digital code for your child. If you only have one code (beginning with 11) then you can use this temporary code to start using your entitlements. Please remember that if you used a temporary code beginning with 11, once your reconfirmation window opens, you will still need to reconfirm your eligibility through your Childcare Account and share the digital code (beginning with 50) that you will receive at that time with your nursery.