Government’s 30 hours free childcare launches

The government’s 30 hours free childcare offer for working parents will roll out across the country on 1 September.

Parents of three and four-year olds who have registered for a place will join the 15,000 families benefitting in the 12 areas of the country that introduced the offer early.

The offer should save families around £5,000 per year on childcare, helping them to balance their jobs and family lives, and around 390,000 working families are eligible to benefit. The latest evaluation shows 8 out of 10 childcare providers were willing and able to double their current 15 hours offer.

This offer is backed by the government’s record investment of £6 billion per year in childcare, which includes an extra £1 billion per year by 2020 to deliver the free entitlements.

It builds on the government’s Tax-Free Childcare offer already available to many families, which cuts childcare costs by up to £2,000 per year for each child under 12 years old.

The 30 hours offer has been delivered early in several areas across the country and independent evaluation which included a survey of providers and parents in eight of the councils that started the offer from last September found improved family finances, there was a better work/life balance, parents were able to increase their working hours should they wish, and childcare provider confidence.

A second independent evaluation of the early roll out scheme builds on those findings and shows benefits for parents and majority of providers are willing and able to offer the extended hours.

This offer is backed by the government’s record investment of £6 billion per year in the childcare early years sector. By 2019-20, an extra £1 billion per year will be invested to deliver the free entitlements, including over £300 million a year to increase the government’s hourly funding rate to local authorities.

Justine Greening, Education Secretary, said: “High quality childcare not only helps our children get the best start in life, it supports many parents who want or need to work.

“For too long lots of families really struggled to manage the cost of childcare and that’s why we have delivered on our promise to provide 30 hours free – saving working families around £5,000 a year.

“Alongside the support we are giving through Tax-Free Childcare and Universal Credit, it will make a real difference to families’ lives.”