Find out how you can use funded childcare hours and what questions you should ask childcare providers before taking up a funded childcare place.
What is Early Years Funding?
Early Years Funding helps with childcare costs from the term after your child turns 9 months old until they start school. It provides a set number of funded childcare hours each year.
Depending on your circumstances and eligibility, your child may receive:
- 570 funded hours per year (15 hours per week if used term‑time only)
- 1140 funded hours per year (30 hours per week for working parents, if used term‑time only)
The 15 or 30 hours must be available free of charge to parents. There must not be any mandatory costs linked to the funded hours.
Providers who choose to offer the free entitlements, are responsible for setting a policy on providing parents with options for alternatives to additional charges. This policy must offer reasonable alternatives that allow parents to access the entitlement for free, including allowing parents to supply their own, or waiving the cost of these items.
Government funding does not cover:
- meals
- consumables
- additional hours
- extra services or activities
Providers who offer the funded entitlement must have a policy that gives parents reasonable alternatives to any extra charges — for example, allowing families to supply items themselves or waiving the cost.
Find out more about the available Government childcare support at Childcare and Early Years Education (Best Start in Life)
Ways in which you can use the funded hours
You can usually use your funded hours in one of two ways. This depends on what your childcare provider offers.
It is not mandatory for Early Years providers to offer the funded entitlement, and how they choose to deliver it is a private business decision for each provider.
Term-Time Only
Funded hours are spread over 38 weeks (school term time).
You receive:
- 15 hours per week (570 hours per year), or
- 30 hours per week (1140 hours per year)
Stretched Offer
Funded hours are spread across the whole year (up to 52 weeks, depending on your provider).
You receive fewer funded hours per week, but your child can attend all year round.
If you leave the setting partway through the year, your provider may need to recalculate your invoice based on the funding already claimed.
Examples
- 570 hours across 52 weeks = about 11 hours per week
- 1140 hours across 52 weeks = about 22 hours per week
Questions to ask your early years provider before agreeing to a place
- How many weeks per year is the setting open?
- Do you offer term time or stretched funded hours?
- How can I use my funded hours e.g. full day, half day, sessional?
- What are the fees for additional hours, sessions, days over and above the funded 15 or 30 hours?
- What are the costs if I choose to pay for meals, consumables, or extra activities?
- What alternatives do you offer if I do not wish to pay for meals, consumables, or extra activities?
- What notice do I have to give if I want to make a change to my childcare arrangement?