Working Parent Entitlement for 3 and 4 year olds (30 hours)
Eligible working families with 3 and 4 year olds can receive up to 30 hours of free childcare each week. This is 15 extra hours of free childcare. This is in addition to the universal entitlement and is called extended entitlement.
It is available over 38 weeks a year. Some providers may offer fewer hours per week over more weeks (up to 1,140 hours total for the 30 hours).
The Department for Education sets the dates for when children become eligible by age.
| Child born between | Will become eligible for free childcare |
|---|---|
| 1 January and 31 March | The start of term 5 following their third birthday (after Easter holiday) |
| 1 April and 31 August | The start of term 1 following their third birthday (after summer holiday) |
| 1 September and 31 December | The start of term 3 following their third birthday (after Christmas/New Year holiday) |
When to apply
You must apply for your 30-hours eligibility code in the term before your child becomes eligible by age. If they are already eligible by age, apply in the term before you wish to take up the offer.
If you don't apply within the recommended timeframes, you may not get your code in time.
If you receive your code, and do not apply before the deadline, you can only take your childcare place until the term after.
| When your child turns 3 | When they can get 30 hours from | Recommended time to apply | Deadline for applying |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 September to 31 December | 1 January | 15 October to 30 November | 31 December |
| 1 January to 31 March | 1 April | 15 January to 28 February | 31 March |
| 1 April to 31 August | 1 September | 15 June to 31 July | 31 August |
Apply for 30-hours
Before you apply, you’ll need to sign up online and get an eligibility code. Once you have the code, you can continue to apply.
Apply for 30-hours of free childcare
Don't forget, once you have your 30-hours childcare place, you’ll need to confirm your eligibility every 3 months.
Read our guide to 30-hour funding. It explains the full eligibility criteria, how to apply, and other details.