Funded childcare hours in England usually begin at the start of the funding period after a child reaches the relevant age. They do not normally start on the child’s birthday or on the day a parent becomes eligible.
The three main start dates are 1 January, 1 April and 1 September. Which date applies depends on the child’s birthday, the type of funded childcare being claimed and, for working-parent childcare, whether the family has obtained a valid eligibility code before the deadline.
For example, a baby who turns nine months in May would normally be able to use the working-parent entitlement from September, provided the family qualifies and completes the application in time. A child who turns three in October would normally receive the universal 15 hours from January.
This guide explains when the different funded childcare entitlements begin, which deadlines parents need to meet and why securing funding does not automatically secure a nursery place.
Funded childcare start dates at a glance
The usual pattern is based on the period in which the child reaches the qualifying age:
- If the child reaches the qualifying age between 1 January and 31 March, funding can normally begin from 1 April.
- If the child reaches the qualifying age between 1 April and 31 August, funding can normally begin from 1 September.
- If the child reaches the qualifying age between 1 September and 31 December, funding can normally begin from 1 January.
This pattern applies to the working-parent entitlement from nine months, the universal entitlement for three- and four-year-olds and the additional-support entitlement for eligible two-year-olds. The application route and eligibility rules differ between the schemes.
For working-parent childcare, the parent must also have a valid eligibility decision by the relevant deadline: 31 March, 31 August or 31 December. The child must meet the age requirement and the parent must meet the eligibility requirements before the new funding period begins.
The exact first attendance date may not be the first calendar day of January, April or September. A provider may begin its funded term a few days later. Parents should ask the nursery, preschool or childminder to confirm the date on which funded sessions will start.
When do the working-parent hours start?
Eligible working parents in England can receive up to 30 funded hours a week for children aged from nine months until they start school. The annual entitlement is 1,140 hours, commonly described as 30 hours a week over 38 weeks.
The child can normally begin using the hours from the funding period after turning nine months:
- A child who turns nine months between 1 January and 31 March can start from 1 April.
- A child who turns nine months between 1 April and 31 August can start from 1 September.
- A child who turns nine months between 1 September and 31 December can start from 1 January.
This means that two babies with birthdays only a few weeks apart may have very different waiting periods.
Consider two children who both turn nine months during the spring. Amira turns nine months on 28 March, so her funded hours can normally begin in April. Noah turns nine months on 2 April, so his family would usually wait until September.
The difference may feel substantial, but it reflects the fixed funding periods rather than the number of days between the children’s birthdays.
The working-parent hours do not begin automatically. Parents must apply through the government childcare service, receive a childcare code and give the required details to a participating provider.
Our guide to funded childcare from nine months explains the wider work, income and application rules.
When should parents apply for working-parent childcare?
Parents can apply once their child is 23 weeks old. However, the hours still cannot begin until the funding period after the child turns nine months.
The main application deadlines are:
- 31 March for hours beginning in April
- 31 August for hours beginning in September
- 31 December for hours beginning in January
The government recommends applying before the deadline rather than leaving the application until the final day. Some applications are approved immediately, while others require additional information or checks.
A nursery may also ask for the code earlier so that it can validate eligibility, prepare funding claims and confirm the place. Ask the provider about its internal deadline as well as checking the government deadline.
Applying early does not cause the annual funded hours to begin early. It simply gives the family more time to resolve any problems and arrange a suitable place.
If the application is approved, an 11-digit code will appear in the parent’s childcare account. The parent gives the code to the provider along with their National Insurance number and the child’s date of birth. The provider then checks the code through the local authority.
For a step-by-step explanation, read our guide to applying for funded childcare.
What happens if you miss the application deadline?
If you do not obtain a valid working-parent code by the relevant deadline, you may have to wait until the next funding period.
For example, imagine that your child turned nine months in November. The normal start date would be January, but you did not apply by 31 December. You may have to pay the provider’s usual fees until the April funding period.
Funding is not normally backdated simply because the child was old enough or the family would have qualified. The provider cannot usually treat privately paid hours from the previous period as funded later.
If you applied before the deadline but HMRC required additional checks, contact the childcare service and keep evidence of when the application was made. Speak to the provider and local authority as well. Do not assume that an unresolved application will automatically be backdated.
Parents should also remember that an enquiry, childcare-account registration or Tax-Free Childcare account is not necessarily the same as having a valid funded-childcare code.
Sign in to the childcare account and check the child’s code, eligibility dates and reconfirmation date. Our guide to childcare codes and how to use them explains what the provider needs.
When do the universal 15 hours start?
All three- and four-year-olds in England can receive 570 hours of funded early education a year. This is usually presented as 15 hours a week over 38 weeks.
The universal entitlement begins from the funding period after the child’s third birthday:
- A child who turns three between 1 January and 31 March can start from April.
- A child who turns three between 1 April and 31 August can start from September.
- A child who turns three between 1 September and 31 December can start from January.
For example, a child who turns three on 15 February can normally receive the universal hours from April. A child who turns three on 15 April would usually begin in September.
The universal 15 hours do not depend on the parents working or meeting an earnings test. Families generally arrange the place directly with a participating nursery, preschool, school nursery or childminder rather than applying for an HMRC working-parent code.
Local processes can vary, so the provider or council may ask the parent to complete a declaration and provide evidence of the child’s identity and date of birth.
The universal entitlement continues until the child reaches compulsory school age, although most children stop using early-years funding when they begin Reception. Official guidance confirms that eligible three- and four-year-olds receive their universal place from the relevant term after turning three.
When do funded hours for eligible two-year-olds start?
Some two-year-olds can receive 15 funded hours a week because their family receives particular support or because the child meets certain eligibility conditions.
This entitlement normally begins from the funding period after both of the following are true:
- The child has turned two.
- The child or family meets the eligibility conditions.
The usual age-based start dates are:
- April for a child who turns two between January and March
- September for a child who turns two between April and August
- January for a child who turns two between September and December
Applications for this entitlement are generally handled by the local authority rather than through the standard HMRC working-parent childcare account.
If the family becomes eligible after the child’s second birthday, the council will determine when the place can begin. Official guidance says local authorities must ensure a place no later than the beginning of the term after the child or parent meets the relevant eligibility conditions.
Once a child has taken up an eligible two-year-old place, they can generally continue receiving it until they become eligible for the universal three-year-old entitlement, even if the family’s circumstances later change. Parents should confirm their individual position with the council.
What if you are returning to work or starting a new job?
Special application timings may apply when a parent is returning from maternity, paternity, shared parental or adoption leave, or is about to start a new job.
The date on which the parent starts or returns to work can determine when they may apply and which funding period they can access.
The usual application windows for starting or returning to work are:
- Apply from 1 September for a January start if work begins between 1 October and 31 January.
- Apply from 1 January for an April start if work begins between 1 February and 30 April.
- Apply from 1 April for a September start if work begins between 1 May and 30 September.
Paid annual leave normally counts as having returned to work. Shared parental leave can involve additional timing rules, particularly where both parents need to have returned or be returning within the permitted period.
Do not rely only on the child’s birthday if you are applying around a return-to-work date. Check the current government guidance or contact the childcare service before the deadline.
Parents sometimes wait until the first day back at work before applying. This can be too late for the intended funding period, even when the child is already nine months old.
Does a childcare code guarantee the start date?
No. A valid code confirms that the family meets the working-parent eligibility rules for the relevant period. It does not guarantee that a particular nursery has space.
The provider must:
- Participate in the funded childcare scheme
- Have a suitable place available
- Be able to offer the required days or sessions
- Validate the code and complete the local funding process
A nursery may accept funded childcare but have no places in the baby room. It may also restrict funded hours to particular sessions or require a minimum attendance pattern.
Contact providers before the funding start date, particularly if you need a baby place, full working days or a specific combination of weekdays.
During a visit, ask how the entitlement would work with your actual schedule. Our guide to what to look for during a nursery tour includes practical questions about funded sessions, additional charges and availability.
Do not give notice to an existing childcare provider until the new place, schedule, fees and start date have been confirmed in writing.
Can a provider start the funded hours later?
The government eligibility date and the provider’s operational start date are related but not always identical.
A child may become eligible from the April funding period, while the nursery’s term begins several days into April. Some providers also accept new starters only on certain days or use a gradual settling timetable.
Ask the provider to confirm:
- The child’s first funded attendance date
- Whether settling sessions are funded or charged separately
- Which weekly sessions will use the entitlement
- When the first invoice will reflect the funding
- Whether charges are averaged across the year
A short settling period may mean the child initially attends fewer hours than the family eventually plans to use. Discuss how unused hours are treated. Parents cannot usually store ordinary funded hours indefinitely and use them whenever they choose.
Before the first day, give the setting accurate information about health, routines and comfort. Our guide to what parents should tell nursery provides a useful preparation checklist.
Does stretching the hours change when funding starts?
Some providers stretch the annual entitlement across more than 38 weeks. This gives the child fewer funded hours in an average week but allows the support to be used during more of the year.
For example, an entitlement expressed as 30 hours a week for 38 weeks may be spread across approximately 51 weeks, producing a lower weekly funded amount. The exact calculation depends on the provider’s opening calendar and local arrangements.
Stretching the entitlement does not normally allow a child to begin before the official eligibility date. It changes how the annual hours are distributed after the entitlement starts.
Ask for the provider’s calculation in writing. Check:
- How many weeks the nursery is open
- How many funded hours are applied each week
- What happens during nursery closures
- Which additional hours remain payable
- Whether meals and consumables are charged separately
A monthly invoice may look similar throughout the year even though the provider claims funding term by term. Ask the nursery to explain how it reaches the monthly figure rather than assuming that the first funded month will have no charge.
What happens when a child turns three?
An eligible working family may already be using the 30-hour entitlement before the child turns three. In that case, the child does not normally receive another 15 universal hours on top.
The universal entitlement forms part of the total 30 working-parent hours. The maximum is therefore usually 30 hours a week over 38 weeks, not 45 hours.
If the family is not eligible for the working-parent entitlement, the child can still begin the universal 15 hours from the funding period after their third birthday.
If a family loses working-parent eligibility after the child turns three, the universal 15 hours remain available because they do not depend on parental employment.
The provider and local authority may need to change how the hours are recorded. Parents should discuss the transition before the next funding period rather than assuming that the invoice or attendance arrangement will update automatically.
For a fuller comparison, read our guide to the funded childcare hours and who can receive them.
Why reconfirmation matters before and after the start date
Parents using the working-parent entitlement must normally reconfirm their eligibility through the childcare account every three months, even when their work and income have not changed.
This requirement can apply before the child has started using the hours. If you receive a code early, you may need to reconfirm it before the new funding period begins.
Check the reconfirmation date shown in the childcare account rather than waiting for the nursery to remind you. HMRC may send messages, but responsibility for completing the process remains with the parent.
Official guidance states that parents need to reconfirm every three months to keep receiving the working-parent entitlement.
If eligibility ends, a grace period may allow a child who is already using the hours to continue temporarily. However, a grace period will not normally allow a child to start a new working-parent place or move routinely to another provider.
If your code has expired or the childcare account shows that you are no longer eligible, contact the childcare service, provider and local authority promptly.
Frequently asked questions
Do funded hours begin on my child’s birthday?
Usually not. They normally begin at the start of the funding period after the child reaches the qualifying age. The principal start points are January, April and September.
My child turns nine months on 31 August. When can the hours start?
If the family meets the working-parent conditions and has a valid code by 31 August, the hours can normally begin in the September funding period.
My child turns nine months on 1 September. When can the hours start?
The hours would normally begin from January, provided the family qualifies and applies by 31 December. A difference of one day in the date on which the child turns nine months can therefore change the funding period.
My child turns three during the school holidays. When do the universal hours begin?
The same funding periods apply. A child who turns three between April and August normally begins the universal entitlement in September, rather than immediately after their birthday.
Can funded hours be backdated?
They are not normally backdated because a parent missed an application deadline or did not arrange a place. Contact the childcare service and local authority if a timely application was delayed by technical or administrative problems.
Can I apply before my baby is nine months old?
Yes. Parents can apply for the working-parent entitlement once the child is 23 weeks old. Applying early provides time to obtain and validate the code, but the funded place cannot normally begin before the appropriate funding period.
Does receiving a code mean I have a nursery place?
No. The code confirms eligibility for the working-parent entitlement. Parents must arrange availability and attendance directly with a participating childcare provider.
Can I reserve a nursery place before receiving the code?
Many nurseries allow parents to reserve a place before funding is confirmed, but the family may remain responsible for fees if the application is unsuccessful or late. Read the deposit and cancellation terms carefully.
Do I need a code for the universal 15 hours?
The universal entitlement for three- and four-year-olds does not normally use the same HMRC code as working-parent childcare. Parents usually arrange it directly with the provider or through the local authority’s process.
When do the funded hours end?
Early-years funding generally ends when the child starts school or reaches the applicable age limit. The exact final claim period can depend on the school start date, compulsory school age and local arrangements.
What if my nursery says its funded term starts on a different date?
Ask the provider to explain its term dates and confirm the first funded session in writing. The official entitlement may begin in a January, April or September period even though the nursery’s first attendance day falls slightly later.
What should I do first: apply for funding or find a nursery?
Do both as early as possible. Speak to providers about likely availability while completing the funding application within the correct window. Neither the code nor an informal nursery enquiry guarantees the other part of the arrangement.
The simplest way to understand funded childcare start dates is to separate three questions: When does the child reach the qualifying age? Has the family completed any required application before the deadline? Does a participating provider have a suitable place?
Check the relevant January, April or September start point, apply early and ask the provider to confirm how funding will appear in the child’s schedule and invoices.
Once the code, place and start date are all confirmed, the family has a much clearer basis for planning work, settling sessions and any childcare costs that remain.
