Funded childcare for 2 year olds

See and hear about all the amazing things children experience through funded early education and childcare!

What is funded early education for 2 year olds?

The government funds up to 570 hours of free childcare per year for eligible 2 year olds. This works out as 15 hours a week if your child takes up the childcare during term time, or you could take fewer hours over more weeks in the year.

All eligible two year olds are able to take a place the term after their birthday.

Who qualifies for the funding?

Parent/carers who receive:

Universal Credit, and your household income is £15,400 a year or less after tax, not including benefit payments
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
Income related Employment and Support Allowance
The Guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit (or both), and your household income is £16,190 a year or less before tax
Working Tax Credit 4-week run on (the payment you get when you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)

Or if the child:

has an Education, Health and Care plan
receives Disability Living Allowance
is looked after by the local authority
has left care - a child who has left care under adoption, special guardianship order or child arrangement order

Or if your family:

have no recourse to public funds (NRPF) and your yearly household income is no higher £26,500 for families with one child or £30,600 for families with two or more children.
Both parents must have NRPF and cannot have more than £16,000 in savings or investments.

Check your eligibility now

If you need any help using the eligibility checker, click the link below

Using the eligibility checker is easy

Click on this link (it will open in a new tab). You'll see this email/password prompt:

Log in if you already have an account set up, if not press the register an account link and follow
the instructions.

Once you're signed in, click on the "Terrific Twos" button to start your application.

Adding a child

If your child is not showing on the screen, click on the "Add Child" button to enter their details.

Once your child is listed in the homepage, select the child to continue with your application.

Applying for funding

Select the relevant application type according to the listed criteria.

Successful checks will generate a voucher to take to your childcare provider.

Unsuccessful checks may need additional information to be submitted to the portal, click the Request Help button.

Why should I take up the offer?

We understand that making the decision to send your child to a nursery or a childminder can be a big step for some parents and carers, and it is natural to have some concerns. Every child and family is different but there is lots of help and support available.

What are the benefits of sending my child to a nursery or childminder?

Children develop quickly in their earliest years, and early education supports their development and well-being.
Research shows that good quality early education and childcare from an early age makes a real difference to how well a child does in the future.
Early years and childcare settings are wonderful places for your child to learn, develop new skills, make new friends and have fun.
It will also free up your time to support you to take up training, start, or return to work, and support you to reduce your childcare bill.

How to apply

Firstly, find an early education and childcare provider to meet yours and your child’s needs. You can use our childcare finder

Once you have chosen either a nursery or childminder, they will help you to complete a form, and check your child’s eligibility. They will then let you know when your child can start attending.

What if I need some help?

If you are eligible for childcare funding but need some support on deciding if childcare is for you and your child(ren), this could be:

You are worried about leaving your child
You’re not sure which setting is right for you
You’re not sure how to approach a nursery/childminder
You need some guidance on applying for the free funding

If you need any help you can find support from our team.

Do you know about Disability Access Funding?

There is funding available for your chosen early education and childcare provider to support your child, if they have a disability or special educational needs. To find our more click on the button below

Disability Access Fund for children in Early Education