Applications for the second phase of the largest ever expansion of free childcare in England’s history will open on 12 May.
From that date, eligible working parents of children from 9 months old will be able to register to access 15 hours of government-funded childcare a week, with the offer beginning from September 2024.
To make sure parents secure a place for September, they should check their eligibility at childcarechoices.gov.uk today, read up on the application process on our Education Hub, and reach out to their local provider to secure a physical place for their child ahead of time.
The application system requires parents to reconfirm their eligibility for Tax Free childcare and 15 or 30 government-funded hours childcare every 3 months. Parents who are already claiming tax free childcare and need to reconfirm their eligibility between 1 April and 12 May, prior to the new offer opening, will automatically be issued a code in the post by HMRC soon after applications open.