Free Child Care in the UK

Free child care in the UK can be a lifesaver for parents, especially those working or studying. In the UK, several government schemes can help you get free childcare for your children.

In this blog post, we’ll look at some free childcare options available in the UK, including 15 hours of free childcare for 3 and 4-year-olds, 30 hours of free childcare for 3 and 4-year-olds, and Tax-Free Childcare. We’ll also discuss the eligibility criteria for these schemes and how to apply.

What Does the Free Child Care Policy Entail?

The UK government has made it known to the citizens that Free child care in the UK policy, means their well-being is of utmost priority, and they decided to look into the possibility of having a free childcare system. One of the major reasons for this was the decline in the number of workers in the country, as many parents had to resign from their jobs to stay home to cater for their young ones.

Here are some of the policies;

Working parents in England can access 30 hours of free childcare per week, for 38 weeks of the year, from when their child is 9 months old to when they start school.

This will be rolled out in stages:

Starting from April 2024, all working parents with 2-year-olds will gain access to 15 hours of free child care per week. But that’s just the beginning.
By September 2024, this support will extend to working parents of children aged 9 months up to 3 years, providing them the same 15 hours per week.
From September 2025, working parents of children in the same age bracket can access an incredible 30 hours of free childcare per week.
Lastly, for those requiring child care beyond 38 weeks annually, the flexibility to spread these across a longer duration will be within reach.

With that being said, the free child care in the UK specifies not everyone will be eligible for this. So let’s look at the people who qualify for this new policy.

Eligibility status for the free child care policy.

Let’s dive into some of the information surrounding the age range of eligible children, the status of the parents;

A child may be eligible if they are;

are looked after by a local authority
have 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

However, families with children aged two are currently eligible for 15 hours per week of funded care and education (for 38 weeks of the year) if they receive any of the following benefits:

Income Support
income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Universal Credit and your household income are £15,400 a year or less after tax, not including benefit payments.
The guaranteed element of Pension Credit
Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit (or both), and household income is £16,190 a year or less before tax.
Working Tax Credit 4-week run on (the payment you get when you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)

The Eligibility Criteria for Parents Include;

You must earn more than the equivalent of 16 hours at the national living wage or minimum wage per week. This means you expect to earn at least £1,976 over the next three months – the National Living Wage if you are 23 or older.

Earn less than £100,000 per year. Again this applies to each parent and carer in a dual-parent household. This means that if one parent earned £101,000 and the other earned £20,000, a family would not be eligible, but if both parents earned £99,000, the family would be eligible.

If you are starting your business, you will not be expected to meet the minimum earning criteria in your first year of trading.

Benefits of free child care for children

Children naturally learn by playing, exploring their world, being creative and finding things out. Children who chat, play and read with adults at home have a great start to their learning; however, children who experience high-quality preschool education are better able to make good progress in their learning in school.

Some of the benefits for children;

Childcare centres allow children to have fun outside the confines of their homes.
Child care centres create the opportunity to improve children’s language and social skills.
Children learn to make friends and meet other children from different races and cultures.
Free child care will allow children to experience creative activities and learn new things.
It encourages their imagination and creativity.
It helps them develop skills that will help them when they start school.

Realistically, not only do children enjoy the benefits of having to assess to good child care, but parents also get a lot of benefits.

Benefits of Free Child Care for Parents

Parents get to start a new job, return to their former jobs, and increase their work hours.
They get to undertake their desired training and gain as many qualifications as possible.
Volunteer jobs are also one of the many things parents can do.
Increased time with younger siblings
Time to relax and unwind with friends and families

Free childcare in the UK will become an important support system for families wanting to give their children the best possible start. This benefits families and helps support the economy by enabling parents to work and contribute to society. While there are challenges to be addressed, it is clear that free childcare has the potential to make a significant difference in the lives of parents and children throughout the UK.