30 hours funded childcare

Your 3 or 4 year old child may be eligible for up to 30 funded hours of early years childcare per week (for 38 weeks), or 1140 hours per year.

Check your eligibility and apply

Eligibility for 30 hours of funded childcare will be checked by the government. You can find out more about eligibility criteria here and you can apply for 30 hours of funded childcare through their Childcare Service website.

Apply now >

If you disagree with your eligibility results or have any queries about the process please call the Childcare Service helpline on 0300 1234097.

Please note: if you become eligible after the start of a funding period, you must wait until the following period to access your extended entitlement place.

Applications for a 30 hours place in the Autumn term must be made before 31 August 2020  to be sure your child gets a place. You should allow plenty of time to apply to ensure that a valid code is received well ahead of the deadline.

DfE has made some temporary changes to 30 hours policy, so that parents are not disadvantaged during the coronavirus outbreak. Specifically:

• Parents who lose income and fail to meet the minimum income threshold due to the outbreak will be treated as meeting that test.
• Critical workers who exceed the maximum income threshold due to working additional hours in response to the outbreak will also remain eligible.

Full details of these easements can be found on GOV.uk.

All eligible parents should continue to apply for, and reconfirm, their 30 hours and Tax-Free Childcare entitlement, even if you have not been accessing their entitlement due to COVID-19 and the closure of childcare settings due to lockdown. This will help to ensure  a smooth transition back into childcare when possible.

There is guidance available on Tax-Free Childcare and 30 hours free childcare during coronavirus outbreak if you have questions about your eligibility for the childcare offer.

The top things parents need to know about this new offer can be found in the Childcare Choices factsheet.

Speak to your provider

You should talk to your childcare provider about your childcare needs, find out if they are offering 30 hours (not all providers are able to offer 30 hours and some childminders don’t accept any funding) and check what times the funding is available. You can share your funded childcare between more than one provider, as long as you do not exceed 30 hours per week or 1140 hours per year.

Ask if the funding can be used during term-time only or stretched all year round. If you choose to stretch your funding this will give you fewer hours over more weeks of the year.

Some providers may charge for additional services or activities not covered by the 30 hours funding. These may include food and drinks or activities such as yoga and music. Ask your provider for a price list for any additional charges.

Pinpoint Devon has a list of providers who have confirmed they are offering the 30 hours.

Confirm your place

If you are eligible, you will receive an 11 digit code to take directly to your participating childcare provider. Your childcare provider will check the code and confirm your eligibility.

You should receive a contract or registration form to confirm your funded hours, chargeable hours and any optional services.

Finding your 11 digit code

Once you have received your 11 digit code you can find it again in your Childcare service account using the green ‘Apply or sign into your account’ button and answer questions about your youngest child’s age and then sign in using your Government Gateway ID, which you received when you applied.

You will also need to sign into your account to re-confirm your eligibility every three months.