For Eligible Working Families
We were delighted to share news of the planned expansion of childcare funding for children of eligible working families in recent months. And now, the latest stage of that free childcare expansion is virtually here! It means that eligible children aged from 9 months to 4 years will be able to access 1140 hours per year of FREE* childcare. The final expansion will be the first time that children aged 9 months to 2 years will be included in the eligible group. It will be available from the 1st of September 2025, and, at the time of writing, that’s just around the corner.
Even closer, though, is the application deadline! Eligible working families have until August 31 to apply for funding for the term starting in September. If you intend to apply but miss the deadline, you will miss out on childcare funding for the whole of that term. Today’s guide explains everything you need to know if you’re an eligible working family and are considering applying for a funded nursery place for your child for this September. The same rules apply whether you are applying to Little Acorns Nursery, Hindley Green, or elsewhere.
Apply by 31st August 2025
to Get Your Childcare Funding Code for September
Childcare providers require a special code from successful applicants in order to provide Government-funded childcare. Without the code, the childcare cannot be provided for free. Families would then need to either pay for their childcare or apply for a subsequent term. Later terms also have their own deadlines, and the same kind of rules apply in each case. From the standpoint of the funding scheme for eligible working families, terms begin on the 1st of the month for September, January, and April. The funding application deadline in each case is the last day of the preceding month. So, for September funding, the application deadline is the 31st of August 2025. For the January term, it’s the 31st of December. Lastly, for the April term, the application deadline is the 31st of March.
Childcare providers require a valid funding code no later than the very start of the term in order to provide the free childcare hours during that term.
The Key Eligibility Factors
Our existing guide explains the key rules for eligibility for childcare funding for working families. The two key rules, though, are that the child’s parent(s) — or the parent and their partner if they have one — must each earn:
- No more than £100,000 per annum for the current tax year;
- No less than the equivalent of 16 hours per week at the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage during the next 3 months.
Click the bold, green link above for much more detail.
How to Quickly Check Your Eligibility
It’s easy to check whether you’re eligible for the childcare funding for working families; simply enter a few details, and this eligibility tool will then check your eligibility for you.
Apply for the Childcare Funding NOW!
As we said above, time is of the essence if you are eligible and would like your child to begin using the free childcare hours from the start of the September term. To apply for the funded hours, you’ll first need a ‘Childcare Account’ on the Gov.uk website if you don’t already have one. Then, you’ll need to enter a few details. Learn more and begin your childcare funding application here.
Remember: you need to apply no later than the 31st of August 2025 if you would like your child to start using their free childcare hours from the beginning of September.
After applying online, most applicants will discover right away whether their application has been approved. However, in some circumstances, it can take as long as a week¹. It’s therefore all the more important to apply as early as you can, so long as your child is at least 23 weeks old when you apply.
1. (Contact the Childcare Service helpline on 0300 123 4097 between 8 am and 6 pm on any working weekday if you have not received your application decision within a week. Call charges may apply.)
Give Your Childcare Provider the All-Important Code
If your application has been approved, you will receive an email confirming that your funding code is available via your Childcare Account. Log in to the account to get this. Give the code to your childcare provider without delay, along with your National Insurance (N.I.) number and the date of birth of your child.
What You’ll Get
If your funding application is successful, your child will be entitled to receive 1140 hours of free childcare each year that they remain eligible. The government funding will be paid directly to your child’s childcare provider — so long, of course, as you/your child remain eligible. Eligibility will need to be reconfirmed via your Childcare Account, on time, every 3 months in order for childcare codes to be valid.
“Eligibility will need to be reconfirmed via your Childcare Account, on time, every 3 months.”
Stretching Funded Childcare Provision
Traditionally, the 1140 childcare hours equate to 30 hours of free childcare per week taken over 38 weeks of the year, with the 38 weeks usually aligning with typical school term-time weeks for your area. However, some childcare providers allow families to ‘stretch’ the free childcare hours over more weeks of the year. This is done simply by using fewer than 30 hours each week, so they can be used over more weeks of the year.
If you are thinking of applying for a nursery place at Little Acorns Nursery and would like to stretch your funded childcare hours, please let us know and we’ll endeavour to accommodate you whenever possible.
Good luck with your application! If you are applying for a nursery place at Little Acorns Nursery in Hindley Green, we look forward to welcoming you and your child to the Little Acorns family very soon!
A Weekday Childcare Service in Hindley Green, Near Wigan
Nursery Places for Babies, Toddlers, & Children Under Five
We hope you found the information above useful and look forward to welcoming new families to our Hindley Green nursery and preschool in the very near future. Whether you are privately funding your childcare or are eligible for government childcare funding, we’d love to welcome you and your child aboard. Why not come and see us — bring your child along! It’s a lovely home-from-home environment with great facilities and a fabulous team that will nurture every child. We’ll really bring out the best in each child and help prepare them well for their onward journey as they head towards school age.
Get in touch with Little Acorns Nursery today. We’ll be delighted to show you and your child around, see how they fit in, and answer any questions that you may have:
As a high-quality nursery located in Hindley Green, we may also suit local families in Bickershaw, Leigh, Atherton, Westhoughton, Ince-in-Makerfield, Platt Bridge, Tyldesley, Bolton and Greater Manchester.
* Please note: Government-funded childcare, including free hours for children of eligible working families, does not usually cover extras including the cost of outings, meals, consumables and any additional childcare hours over and above the funded hours.
Since September 2024, the number of free childcare hours available for eligible children aged 9 months to 2 years (inclusive) is 570 per year. This is usually taken as 15 hours per week over 38 term-time weeks of the year*. In further good news, the allocation is set to double to 1140 hours per year from September 2025, thereby aligning with what eligible 3 and 4-year-olds are already entitled to (see below).
Meanwhile, a total of 1140 hours of free childcare is currently available for eligible children aged 3 and 4 each year. This is usually taken as 30 hours per week over 38 term-time weeks of the year*.
Whether your child is funded by family or via one of the 
