30 hours childcare for eligible working families in England
From September 2025, 15 hours for eligible working families will expand to 30 hours, meaning eligible working parents can now apply for 30 hours of childcare from the term after their child turns 9 months, until they start school.
If you currently receive 15 hours for working families, just reconfirm as usual and the code will work for the 30 hours offer in September, providing you remain eligible and your provider has confirmed your new attendance pattern for your increased hours.
15 hours childcare for all families in England
For children aged 3 to 4 years.
15 hours early learning for families in England receiving some additional forms of support
For children aged 2 years.
How to apply
You need to apply online before the deadline to receive a code which is given to us. The deadline is the day before the new term begins, but we encourage you to apply earlier, and recommend applying at least 6 weeks before the deadline. The deadlines are:
If my child turns 2 or 3 between | I can access 30 funded hours from | And I need to apply by |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January to 31 March | Term starting on or after 1 April | 31 March |
| 1 April to 31 August | Term starting on or after 1 September | 31 August |
| 1 September to 31 December | Term starting on or after 1 January | 31 December |
Before you apply, you’ll need to make sure you have the following information to hand:
If you are a foster carer, there is a separate application process. Speak to your social worker to find out more.
Once you have applied, you will receive an 11-digit code to give to us (to enable us to access the entitlements), along with your National Insurance number and your child’s date of birth. We will check the code and then allocate your child a place if we have one available.
This information is provided to us via a Parent Declaration for Early Education Funding (EEF) issued by Herefordshire Council.
Once you have received your code, you will need to reconfirm every 3 months even if you have not yet started using your entitlements.