{"id":24642,"date":"2023-04-11T10:53:39","date_gmt":"2023-04-11T10:53:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smh.group\/?p=24642"},"modified":"2023-04-11T10:53:39","modified_gmt":"2023-04-11T10:53:39","slug":"childcare-support-extended-to-children-over-nine-months","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/devstagesite.co.uk\/smhgroup\/childcare-support-extended-to-children-over-nine-months\/","title":{"rendered":"Childcare support extended to children over nine months"},"content":{"rendered":"

The government is extending the provision of 30 hours of free childcare for 38 weeks to now include all pre-school children over the age of nine months.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Phased introduction<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The extended childcare provision will be of benefit to parents with newborns \u00ad\u2013 or those planning a family \u2013 but parents with children currently aged one or two years old will not see the full benefit of the changes because of the phased introduction of the support:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
From<\/strong><\/td>\nFree childcare extended to<\/strong><\/td>\nAmount of childcare<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
April 2024<\/td>\nChildren aged two years<\/td>\n15 hours<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
September 2024<\/td>\nChildren aged nine months to two years<\/td>\n15 hours<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
September 2025<\/td>\n30 hours<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

Children can take up their childcare place in the term after they meet the age requirement (subject to having received a code to give to the childcare provider), with terms typically beginning on 1 January, 1 April and 1 September.<\/p>\n

To be eligible, both parents must work at least 16 hours a week at the National Minimum\/Living Wage, and neither can earn more than \u00a3100,000 a year.<\/p>\n

Challenges and shortfalls<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Government-funded childcare entitlement is currently only available for a total of 1,140 hours a year, which works out to 30 hours over 38 weeks, so the new rules may spur some adjustments by children providers.<\/p>\n