Finding childcare and help with childcare costs
Last updated 23 November 2023
Upcoming changes to childcare support
The financial support that is available to parents to help with the cost of childcare is increasing from September 2024. The support will be expanded in phases. By September 2025, working parents with children aged 9 months old to when they go to school will be eligible for 30 hours of childcare support.
You can find the latest information on the Childcare Choices website.
1. Overview
Early Education places are to help with your child’s early learning and development through play.
Children aged between 2 and 5 will follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
'Learning through play' helps children begin to understand simple sentences, listen and enjoy rhymes and stories, express themselves through action and sound and begin to make and manipulate objects and tools.
Some of the benefits include:
- improving children’s development, for example their communication skills
- helping them learn to socialise with other children and make friends
- giving them access to new activities and exciting places to play
- helping them begin to get ready for school
The government has introduced new ways to help parents with childcare costs. Whether you have toddlers or teens, you could get support. To find out what support may be available please visit Childcare Choices.
There is also tax free childcare. This is a UK wide government scheme that has been set up to help working parents with the cost of childcare.