9 month old funding

If a family work they may be able to get up to 30 hours of funded childcare a week from September 2025. If a family are a couple then both need to be working.

To get funding from the term after a child turns 9 months old then the following needs to apply:

• the parent (both parents if living together) earn at least £8,670 a year and less than £100,000 a year adjusted net income, which is the income after some tax reliefs and deductions

A child in foster care is entitled to free early education funding of up to 30 hours per week from September 2025 if the child is within the eligible date of birth range for the term, and meets the criteria set out below:

• That accessing the funded hours is consistent with the child’s care plan, placing the child at the centre of the process and decision making, and
• That, in single foster parent families, the foster parent holds additional paid employment outside of their role as a foster carer.
• And in two foster parent families, both are employed.

Foster carer applications should be made by the Foster Carer(s) to the Family Information Service.

For more information including how to apply please visit - Early education funding for children in foster care

Parents can apply to the National Childcare Service here. Parents can call HMRC on 0300 123 4097 if they need support submitting your application.

Parents will receive an 11 digit code if they are successful with their application and this must be given to you prior to offering a funded place. This code must be checked on the eligibility checker on the Provider Portal before you can confirm a funded place.

Please note: When a parent is applying to HMRC for an eligibility code, they will need to make sure their application is completed in time in order to get their eligibility code before the following government cut off dates. If a parent applies after these dates they will have to wait until the following term to take up the additional funded hours:

• 31 August - funding starting in the Autumn term (from September term)
• 31 December - funding starting in the Spring term (from January term)
• 31 March - funding starting in the Summer term (from April term)

Please be aware it can take up to 15 days from the date of application for HMRC to issue a an eligibility hour code. If the parent already has an eligibility code then please remember to remind them to reconfirm their details when prompted by HMRC in order to continue to receive funding.

If a parent is issued with a temporary eligibility code by HMRC these are only valid for one term so you must ensure you ask the parent to apply for a new code from HMRC for the following term.