The new Government Funded Childcare Scheme: Who is eligible and how do I apply in 2024?

Last month we put a post out about the expansion of the government funded childcare scheme, which is expanding to offer more ‘free hours’ of childcare to families with young children who meet the eligibility criteria.

Published on March 19, 2024

Each child who is deemed eligible will be able to access 15 hours of additional funded childcare per week, with an initial rollout in April 2024 and a secondary launch in September 2024 to cover more children of a younger age.

The aim behind the government funded childcare scheme is to give parents a better chance of returning to work and being able to access childcare for their children, amid the rising cost of living.

But who is eligible and how do you apply? In this blog, we look specifically at the eligibility criteria and how to apply for childcare funding in 2024.

A quick guide to government funded childcare

Government funded childcare is not a new concept. However, 2024 marks a vast expansion in the existing concept, whereby more families than ever will be able to access the childcare support that they need to help parents return to work.

The way this works is that nurseries will have a set number of spaces for government funded children and will claim the cost of their childcare directly from the government. One of the challenges that nurseries across the country anticipate is a steep rise in demand as a result of the government funding, which is why familiarising yourself with eligibility criteria and the process early on is crucial.

Eligibility criteria for government funded childcare

First to eligibility.

In order to be deemed eligible for the funded childcare, your child needs to be the right age and your income needs to fall within the parameters deemed reasonable for this kind of support. The criteria listed includes:

· Your child must be over the age of 2 years to apply for funded nursery hours in April 2024. If your child is younger than this then you will need to wait until September 2024 when the scheme is set to be rolled out to children aged 9 months and older - more on this in the next section

· If you’re in a couple and sharing parenting duties, you both need to be working

· Your combined income needs to be at least £8,760 per year, and less than £100,000 per year (after tax – essentially meaning that these amounts need to reflect your take-home income)

· Your chosen childcare facility or nursery needs to offer places to government-funded children

Matching your child’s birth date with what you are entitled to

This is where a recent upload comes in, which outlines exactly when a child was born and what they are entitled to in terms of the government funded childcare.

A child born before March 2021 is only eligible for existing funding schemes and cannot apply under the new scheme. The following list shares the details of eligibility for children depending on when they were born, as has been shared by the government. These details are all adhered to across our My Ohana nurseries, with spaces available for funded attendees.

A child born between April 2021 and December 2022 – eligible for 15 hours funding under the new scheme from April 2024. From September 2024 they can access up to 30 hours funding for 3 and 4 year olds.

A child born between April and August 2022 – eligible for 15 hours funding under the new scheme from September 2024. From September 2025 they can access up to 30 hours funding for 3 and 4 year olds.

A child born between September 2022 and August 2023 – eligible for 15 hours funding under the new scheme from September 2024. From September 2025 they can access up to 30 hours funding for all children of nursery age.

A child born between September and November 2023 – eligible for 15 hours of funding for 9+ months under the new scheme from September 2024. From September 2025 they can access up to 30 hours funding for all children of nursery age.

Children born from December 2023 onwards – eligible for 15 hours of funding under the new scheme from January 2025. From September 2025 they can access up to 30 hours funding for all children of nursery age.

How to apply for childcare funding support

Now that you know what your child is eligible for according to when they were born, what do you need to do about it?

Parents need to apply for a code on the government website, which proves eligibility. This code is then given to the nursery you want your child to join, so that they can use the code to apply for the funding directly from the government.

Without this code, you cannot access the funding – which is why it’s so important to get online and receive your code as soon as possible. Once you have your code, get in touch with your chosen nursery to check availability, or to put your child’s name on a waitlist for when they’re ready to join.

We hope this helps. We are always on hand to advise and help you determine if we have a place for your child – but we cannot apply for the code for you, and will only accept funded spots for children that come with a code.