Overview

You may be able to get 30 hours of free childcare a week through the Free Childcare for Working Parents scheme.

Your child must be aged 9 months to 4 years old and you must live in England.

There are:

This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

The childcare must be provided by a registered provider, such as a registered nursery, playscheme or school. This is known as ‘approved childcare’.

Who can get free childcare

To be eligible for Free Childcare for Working Parents, you (and your partner, if you have one) need to both: 

  • be in work or about to start a new job 
  • earn over a certain amount

You’ll need a National Insurance number to apply. 

You can use a calculator to check how much help you could get with childcare costs.

When to apply

You can apply for 30 hours of free childcare from when your child is 23 weeks old.

Check the deadlines for applying.

How to apply 

To apply, you’ll need to set up a childcare account

If your application is approved, you’ll get an 11-digit code that proves you’re eligible to get free childcare. You’ll need to give this code to your childcare provider.

If you already have a childcare account, you can sign in to your account.

Confirm your details are correct

To keep getting Free Childcare for Working Parents, you must confirm your details are up to date by signing in to your childcare account every 3 months.

Other help you may be able to get

As well as getting Free Childcare for Working Parents, you may be able to get either:

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will check if you’re eligible for Tax-Free Childcare when you apply for Free Childcare for Working Parents.

You cannot get both Tax-Free Childcare and Universal Credit childcare at the same time.