Funded hours calculator
Find out whether your child can get 15 or 30 hours of free childcare a week in England, and the date the hours can start.
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Free hours by age and family
| Your child | Working parents | Families on some benefits | Everyone else |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 months to 2 | 30 hours | No free hours | No free hours |
| 2 years old | 30 hours | 15 hours | No free hours |
| 3 and 4 years old | 30 hours | 15 hours | 15 hours |
Free hours are for 38 weeks a year and start from the term after your child reaches the age: 1 January, 1 April or 1 September. Working parents apply for a code on GOV.UK before the term starts.
When the hours start
| Your child turns 9 months, 2 or 3 between | Hours start from | Working parents apply by |
|---|---|---|
| 1 September and 31 December | 1 January | 31 December |
| 1 January and 31 March | 1 April | 31 March |
| 1 April and 31 August | 1 September | 31 August |
Nursery list and inspection outcomes from Ofsted's register of childcare providers, as at 30 June 2026.
Eligibility rules are the government’s (childcarechoices.gov.uk). Whether a nursery offers the funded hours, and what it charges for meals and consumables, is the nursery’s decision; ask for its funded-hours terms in writing.