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Families encouraged to pre-register online for government’s new childcare offers (5 April 2017)

Date: 05/04/2017
Duncan Lewis, Family Solicitors, Families encouraged to pre-register online for government’s new childcare offers

The government is encouraging millions of families to pre-register for the government’s new childcare offers, after the launch of a new Childcare Choices government website.

The Childcare Choices website includes a Childcare Calculator for parents to compare all the government’s childcare offers and check what works best for their families. Through the site, parents can also pre-register for email alerts that will notify them when they can apply as well as providing details of existing government childcare offers.

The introduction of the government’s Tax-Free Childcare scheme will begin on 28 April for parents of the youngest children.

It will be rolled out during 2017, cutting childcare costs for working families across the UK by up to £2,000 per child per year or by £4,000 for families with children who have a disability.

From September 2017, parents of three- and four-year-old children living in England will also be able to apply for a new, 30-hour free childcare offer – worth around £5,000 per child.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury, David Gauke, said:

“This government is on the side of working families and our childcare support will cut thousands of pounds off bills for millions of households, as well as supporting parents to return to or remain in work.

“The new Childcare Choices website provides busy families with options that suit their needs, so they can clearly see which childcare offer works best for them.

“For the first time, we have brought all the childcare options together to make the process easier and simpler for families and childcare providers.”


Education Secretary Justine Greening added:

“Affordable childcare and early years education are a vital part of how we can get our children on the right path, while also helping parents to be back at work, if that is what they want.

“Many parents are struggling to balance the cost of childcare against the benefits of being in work and this government wants to help … Parents can use the Childcare Choices website to find out what support is available for their family whether that’s our 30-hour free childcare offer, Tax-Free Childcare or Universal Credit, the website is a quick and easy way for parents to choose the offer that’s best for them and their children.”


An estimated two million working families will be eligible for Tax-Free Childcare, which will be rolled out gradually, with parents of children under two invited to enter the scheme first.

By the end of the year, all eligible parents will be able to receive government top-ups of £2 for every £8 that a parent pays into their Tax-Free Childcare account. This will be open to all working parents across the UK with children under 12, or under 17 if a child has a disability.

The new 30 hours, free childcare offer for working parents of three- and four- year-olds in England doubles the 15 hours of free childcare currently available, saving eligible working families up to £5,000 a year.

Parents will be able to apply for Tax-Free Childcare and the 30 hours offer in one step, through the government’s new digital childcare service. Eligible parents can benefit from both Tax-free Childcare and 30 hours free childcare at the same time.

Both of these new offers have been run as trials over recent months, to test the new digital services. The government says that more than 4,000 parents are already benefiting from the 30 hours offer in eight “early implementer” councils, with thousands more set to follow, as four new areas launch the 30 hours offer in April. More than 2,000 parents are already cutting their childcare costs with the Tax-Free Childcare trial.

Parents eligible for the 30 hours free childcare offer will be able to apply online through the childcare service and they will receive a code – this will allow parents to arrange their childcare place ahead of September 2017.

Parents can take their code to their provider or council, along with their National Insurance Number and child’s date of birth and their provider or council will check the code is authentic and allocate them a free childcare place.

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