Free Early Education for under two year olds

From September 2024, 15 hours of childcare support will be extended to eligible working parents with a child from age 9 months to 2 years old.

It's worth noting that some providers may charge for extra services, such as providing lunch and nappies in addition to the government funded childcare. Visit gov. uk for further information.

The expanded entitlement is available to families where:

• both parents are working (or the sole parent is working in a lone parent family)
• each parent earns on average a weekly minimum equivalent to 16 hours at the National Minimum wage or 16 hours at National Living Wage.
• neither parent has an income of more than £100,000 per year
• both parents are employed but one or both parents is temporarily away from the workplace on parental, maternity or paternity leave, adoption leave or get statutory sick pay
• one parent is employed, and one parent has substantial caring roles based on specific benefits received for caring, or is disabled/ incapacitated based on receipt of specific benefits 

For more information and eligibility assessments, go to Childcare Choices.

Applying for the working parent childcare entitlements - Parent FAQ 

Start dates for free childcare places

Eligible 9 months to 2 year-olds can start receiving their entitlement the term after their birthday (1 to 2 year olds) or the term after a child is 9 months old. 

Number of hours entitled to

Eligible 9 months to 2 year olds are entitled to 570 hours of free early education per year. It’s usually taken as 15 hours a week over 38 weeks of the year (split into three terms).

However, if your child‘s provider is open all year round, such as a day nursery, the free hours will be spread equally over those weeks. For example, if your child attends a provider that is open for 51 weeks a year, they will receive 11 hours a week.

National limits

National limits are set by the government about how the free sessions can be offered meaning that:

• no session can be longer than 10 hours
• a maximum of 15 hours per week can be taken over a minimum of two days
• you can use your free childcare during the weekends as well

You can discuss with the provider how your free hours can be taken. Some may offer set days and times, whereas others may be more flexible. If needed, you can purchase additional hours of childcare.

A variety of providers offer free early education and childcare for two-year-olds, including:

• day nurseries
• pre-schools or playgroups
• childminders
• nursery schools

For a list of childcare providers in your area offering funded spaces, please contact the Early Years & Childcare Team on 0208 496 3566 or email childcare@walthamforest.gov.uk.  

Once you have chosen your preferred childcare setting, contact them directly to arrange for your child to start.

If you would like to take up any additional hours outside the Free Early Education Entitlement, the childcare provider will invoice you accordingly.

Free Early Education Entitlement (FEEE) providers must be:

• registered with Ofsted/DfE
• issued with a contract by the Local Authority to do this.

To get a contract from the Local Authority, they must demonstrate their understanding of the legal and statutory requirements they must comply with:

• planning and building regulations,
• health and safety(including premises statutory compliance),
• employment law
• safeguarding
• finance

Providers who fail to demonstrate that they have an understanding of and comply with the requirements covered by the compliance checks, will not be commissioned by the Local Authority as providers.