15 hours of free childcare available for two-year-olds

From the beginning of this month, working parents in England could start applying for 15 hours of free childcare for their two-year-olds.

Currently, parents of three and four-year-olds who work full-time and earn at least £8,670 a year, but less than £100,000, are eligible for 30 hours of free childcare per week during term time. However, in last year’s Spring Budget, which was delivered by Jeremy Hunt in March, the chancellor announced that this year, parents with two-year-olds can apply for 15 hours of free care.

Applications are now open for parents, although they have been advised to register between the middle of this month and the end of February.

Against this backdrop, Jeremy Hunt also unveiled that other parents with younger children will also receive some help should they need it. This includes:

• By September 2024 eligible children from nine months old will get 15 hours of childcare per week during term time
• By September 2025 eligible pre-school children between nine months and school age will get 30 hours of childcare per week

However, although it seems the government are trying to offer sufficient support for parents struggling to afford childcare, concerns have surfaced about which institutions will take on the task.  According to research from the BBC, demand for childcare places will have likely increased by around 15% by the time the expansion has been implemented.

In addition, last year childcare places in this country dropped by 1% due to staff members leaving the sector. The government have also said the population of pre-school children is also falling.

To help get things back on track, the government is now offering a £60 incentive for people to become childminders and is working on a new recruitment campaign this month. From April, authorities are also upping the amount they pay providers to deliver childcare to an average of £11.22 an hour for under-twos, £8.28 for two-year-olds, and £5.88 for three and four-year-olds.

Councils are the ones responsible for distributing the funding to nurseries and other childminder establishments so the exact amount they will receive depends on whereabouts they’re situated.

Image: Kostiantyn Li

More on this topic:

Extortionate childcare costs forcing Welsh parents into poverty

Early years workforce crisis could hinder government plans to expand ‘free childcare’