Funded early learning for two year olds

About two year old funding

We offer funding for families with two year old's worth up to 15 hours of childcare each week. You could use these funded hours at a day nursery, maintained nursery, playgroup, pre-school or with a registered childminder. If you do not want to use 15 hours straight away, you can always build this up over time and as your child gets older increase the amount of funded hours they use.

Why quality early learning childcare is good for your child

Early learning childcare encourages your child to:

• learn
• play
• make new friends
• experience new activities
• prepare for their next steps.

It can also help you:

• have more time
• take up a college course
• go back to work
• meet other parents
• get ideas of how to help your child play and learn.

Eligibility criteria

There are three different funding offers to apply for. Please select the most relevant to your family circumstances. You can apply for the third offer now and if eligible, your child will received their funding in April 2024.

Offer 1

Your 2 year old can get funded early learning and childcare if you live in England and if you claim one of the following benefits:

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

Apply for funding for offer 1

Offer 2

Your 2 year old can get funded early learning and childcare if they have one or more of the following:

• Is looked after by a local authority
• Has a statement of special education needs (SEN) or an education, health and care (EHC) plan
• Gets Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
• Has left care under an adoption order, special guardianship order or a child arrangements order
• No recourse to public funds

If your immigration status says you have ‘no recourse to public funds’, you may still get free childcare for your 2 year old. You must live in England and your household income must be no more than:

• £26,500 for families outside of London with one child
• £34,500 for families within London with one child
• £30,600 for families outside of London with two or more children
• £38,600 for families within London with two or more childcare

Please note, you cannot have more than £16,000 in savings or investments.

Apply for funding for offer 2

Offer 3

If you are an eligible working parent with a child who turns two before 31 March, you can apply for 15 hours funded childcare each week.

You can apply to the HMRC outside of these recommended dates but you might not receive your code in time. You must have a valid code by the end of the month before a new term starts. Check with your childcare provider to find out the exact date your funded childcare starts.

What you need to know

You must reconfirm your eligibility every 3 months with the HRMC through your Government Gateway account. If you apply more than 3 months before the term starts, you’ll have to reconfirm your eligibility in your account in order to keep your code valid.

Apply for funding for offer 3

When a two year old funded childcare place starts

If you are entitled, your child can start the term after they turn two and finish at the end of the term in which they turn three. All families are eligible for funded three and four year old childcare, find out more about three and four year old childcare.

• If your child's birthday falls between 1  January and 31 March, they are eligible in the summer term after their second birthday
• If your child's birthday falls between 1 April and 31 August, they are eligible in the autumn term after their second birthday
• If your child's birthday falls between 1 September and 31 December, they are eligible in the spring term after their second birthday

Getting a place

Have a look at our childcare directory to see all the providers offering two year old places in your area.

Search the childcare directory

If you have a question or comment regarding finding suitable childcare, complete the online enquiry form.