Project Description

Free education and childcare for 2 year olds

15 hours of free childcare – Parents are being encouraged to find out if their two year olds are entitled to 15 hours of free childcare.

Around 40% of 2 year olds are now entitled to 15 free hours of free early education per week – up from 20% last year. Evidence suggests that children from less advantaged backgrounds often start school 19 months behind their peers, but also reveals that good quality childcare can reduce this gap and have a significant benefit in terms of a child’s development.

Eligibility

2 year olds can get free childcare if they live in England and the parents or guardians get one of the following benefits:

  • Income Support
  • Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
  • Universal Credit, and your household income is £15,400 a year or less after tax, not including benefit payments tax credits, and your household income is £16,190 a year or less before tax
  • The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
  • Working Tax Credit run-on, which is paid for 4 weeks after they stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit

2 year olds can also get free childcare if they:

  • Are looked after by a local authority
  • Have a statement of special education needs (SEN) or an education, health and care (EHC) plan
  • Get Disability Living Allowance
  • Have left care under an adoption order, special guardianship order or a child arrangements order

If the parents are a non-EEA citizen who cannot claim benefits
2 year olds may get free childcare if the parents are getting support under the Immigration and Asylum Act and have either:

  • Claimed asylum in the UK and are waiting for a decision (known as ‘part 6’)
  • Been refused asylum in the UK (known as ‘section 4’)

A 2-year-old you care for may also get free childcare if the household income is £15,400 a year or less after tax, and has either:

  • Leave to remain with ‘no recourse to public funds’ on family or private life grounds
  • The right to live in the UK because they are the main carer of a British citizen (known as a ‘Zambrano Carer’)

Childcare you can get help paying for

15 hours of free childcare.

Around 40% of 2 year olds are now entitled to 15 free hours of free early education per week – up from 20% last year. Evidence suggests that children from less advantaged backgrounds often start school 19 months behind their peers, but also reveals that good quality childcare can reduce this gap and have a significant benefit in terms of a child’s development.

A parent or guardian can get help paying for childcare if it’s provided by a:

  • Registered childminder, nanny, playscheme, nursery or club
  • Childminder or nanny with a registered childminder agency or childcare agency
  • Registered school
  • Home care worker working for a registered home care agency

This is known as ‘approved childcare’.

Applying for this funding

Find out if a child is eligible for Free for 2 Year Olds funding:

Find out what free early education and childcare is available in your area

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