Free childcare extended for pre-school children over 9 months old
Eligible parents of children between 9 months old and school age will soon be able to get 15 or 30 hours a week of government-funded childcare during term-time.
Extending this childcare support to children 2 years old and under is one of the measures announced by the Chancellor in the 2023 Spring Budget to help parents with young children go back to work.
With childcare being one of the biggest costs for many households, this extension aims to reduce the financial barrier that prevents both parents from staying in work, while keeping the economy growing at the same time.
Here is a summary of what’s changing with childcare support, when these changes come into effect, and who will benefit from them.