If your child is under 5 you could be eligible for support with the cost of childcare – but you need to apply before 31 August.

The borough has more than 300 Ofsted registered early years providers that provide care and education for children aged from 3 months to 5 years. These include childminders, nurseries and schools with nursery classes. You can search a directory of registered childcare providers on the Ealing Council website.

Childcare funding has changed to offer more for eligible working parents. These changes are in addition to the childcare funding schemes already in place for 2, 3 and 4-year olds and support for parents in receipt of universal credit. Parents in Ealing who work and earn under £100k per year may now be eligible to get this help.

If you are eligible for the new funding offer for working families then you need to apply via the government’s childcare choices website before 31 August in order to receive your funded hours in September this year.

How to apply

• Visit Childcare Choices before 31 August and complete a form with your all details. If you are eligible for funding you will receive a code.
• Once you have been issued with a code, give this to your childcare provider. (Although 15hrs of childcare is funded you may have to pay for meals, nappies, additional hours, additional activities such as trips.)
• The childcare MUST be with an Ofsted registered provider
• If your child is 3 to 4 years old, you may be able to get 30 hours free childcare per week for 38 weeks of the year (during school term time).
• Codes must be revalidated every 3 months.

When to apply for 15 hours free childcare

You can apply from when your child is 23 weeks old. Below is a list which explains when you can get free hours from and when to apply, based on when your child is 9 months old.

• child is 9 months old between 1 September to 31 December 2024 – hours available: term starting on or after 1 January 2025, when to apply: The term before 1 January
• child is 9 months old between 1 January to 31 March 2025 – hours available: term starting on or after 1 April 2025, when to apply: The term before 1 April.
• child is 9 months between 1 April to 31 August 2025 – hours available: term starting on or after 1 September 2025, when to apply: the term before 1 September

Councillor Josh Blacker, the council’s cabinet member for a fairer start, said “As a working parent I know just how expensive childcare can be and the difficult juggle families with young children go through. If your child is under 5, I really encourage you to check if you’re eligible for financial support on the Childcare Choices website before the deadline. You could get help with your nursery bills or to pay your childminder from September, which could make a big difference for your family.”