A Muddy Boots Guide to Government Funded Childcare
Did you know you might be eligible for free childcare? In September 2024, new government funding plans were announced, giving parents the opportunity to receive free childcare for their children. We want to help you give your child their best start in life. If you or someone you know has little ones from the ages of 9 months to 3 years old, read on to find out how to access fully funded childcare for 2025.
There have been lots of exciting changes in the early years sector over the last few months, and it will only continue as we go into 2025.
For parents of children aged 9 months to 2 years old, you could be eligible for 15 hours of fully funded childcare each week, with that rising up to 30 hours in September 2025 - that’s up to 1140 hours of free childcare per year! (in 2025)
For parents with children aged 3 to 4 years old, all eligible families can receive up to 15 hours a week of funded childcare (570 hours across the year), and working families up to 30 hours. This is set to stay the same across 2025.
To check your eligibility and apply for your Government funded childcare, head to childcarechoices.gov.uk , fill out their form and get started!
When can I apply?
Finding out your eligibility and having your funding confirmed ahead of time is always advised. To help you prepare for your little one’s nursery journey, follow the tables below and set your plan in motion.
When Applying for 15 Hour Funding
You can apply for your 15 hour funding from your child turning 23 weeks old. It works like this:
| When your child is 9 months old | When you can get your hours from | When to apply |
|---|---|---|
| 1st September - 31st December | Term starting on or after 1st January | The term before the 1st January |
| 1st January - 31st March | Term starting on or after 1st April | The term before the 1st April |
| 1st April - 31st August | Term starting on or after 1st September | The term before the 1st September |
When Applying for 30 Hour Funding
You can apply for your 30 hour funding when your child is 2 years and 36 weeks. It works like this:
| When your child is 3 years old | When you can get your hours from | When to apply |
|---|---|---|
| 1st September - 31st December | Term starting on or after 1st January | The term before the 1st January |
| 1st January - 31st March | Term starting on or after 1st April | The term before the 1st April |
| 1st April - 31st August | Term starting on or after 1st September | The term before the 1st September |
It’s important to try and stay one step ahead when it comes to starting your child’s nursery journey, but we know how difficult it can be. If you’d like to use your funded childcare at Muddy Boots, get in touch with our team or ask about it during your showround - we’re here to help!
Using Your Funding at Muddy Boots
Here at Muddy Boots, there are two main ways you can use your funding to access our outstanding childcare.
The popular option for most families is full year care, where a family chooses a 2, 3, 4 or 5 day booking pattern, which they utilise over 52 weeks a year. Following their chosen booking pattern we claim the funding and spread it across the whole year to reduce their monthly childcare costs. For families with 15 hour funding, it works out at 11 fully funded hours per week, and 22 hours free childcare for those with 30 hour funding. These hours are supplemented with a small additional charge, as the government funding only covers care and doesn’t include meals or additional services.
Using the full year care is an option at all our settings, but Acomb, Stamford Bridge and Wilberfoss also offer a term-time only option which runs 38 weeks per year. Parents with a child over 2 can use these ‘Innovators’ sessions and either completely cover the cost with their funding, or just pay the additional cost for sessions not covered by their government hours. At Acomb, families can choose from a set of three specific day packages available to use their funding, whereas Wilberfoss and Stamford Bridge offer the same 2, 3, 4, or 5-day package system used in the full year care option.
Want to Know More?
Choosing a nursery for your little one can feel very daunting. At Muddy Boots we want to make that process as worry-free as possible for you and your family. We believe choosing childcare should be an exciting ‘get to’ decision, not a daunting ‘have to’ experience. To do that, you need to find childcare you are completely confident in. That’s why all our nursery booking processes start with a showround where you get to know the setting, meet the team and have all of your questions answered.
To book a visit at any of our nurseries, follow this link. See you soon!
