Childcare Grant: Parents can get free child benefits for 2 year olds - how to apply

Parents of two year olds in England can apply for 15 hours of free childcare from January in a new government support scheme. The childcare grant - available for working parents - is part of a £400m increase in early years funding confirmed for 2024/25, the Department for Education said.

The initiative will come into effect from April 2024, almost a year on from when Jeremy Hunt set out plans to improve childcare funding in his spring budget. From September 2024, the grant will extend to working parents of all children older than nine months while working parents of children under five will be able to claim 30 hours’ free childcare per week from September 2025. Included in the benefit scheme is a childminder start-up grant worth £600 for those who register with Ofsted and £1,200 for people who are signed up with a childminder agency.

Education secretary Gillian Keegan said: “Our fantastic childcare offer is going to start supporting eligible families in less than six months’ time, and I want to make sure that parents and providers are prepared. From April next year, eligible working parents of two-year-olds will be able to access 15 hours of government-funded childcare a week, making sure parents no longer have to choose between a career and a family, and doubling down on this government’s commitment to getting more people into work and growing the economy.”

How to apply for 15 hours free childcare

Applications open on January 2 for the first wave of childcare grants. The government is urging those eligible to sign up via the government website to receive updates on how and when to register for support with childcare costs. In the meantime, parents in England with children 3 to 4 years old can check if they're eligible to receive 30 hours of free childcare.