Working parents of children aged nine-months and up can now apply for free childcare

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Thousands of working parents of children aged nine-months and up are set to benefit from Government-funded childcare.

After the scheme was first rolled-out to working parents of children aged two earlier this year as part of the “largest expansion of childcare in history”, the Government has now extended this to children aged nine-months and up, ahead of expanding it even further to a total of 30 funded hours from next September.

This now means that working parents of children from the age of nine-months can now apply for 15-hours of free childcare per week.

The Government says the scale of challenge in delivering this scheme that it inherited from the former Government is a “substantial” one, but ministers are now “taking the action needed” to put this promise into action.

“To deliver what parents have been promised requires an unprecedented rate of growth in childcare places and staff,” the Department for Education (DfE) conceded.

The expansion in Government-funded childcare hours is said to be just one step towards the Education Secretary’s vision of an early education and childcare system that “supports children to build on strong foundations” and “start school ready to learn”.

Speaking as the scheme extended to working parents of nine-month-olds this week, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson explained: “I’ve already said that early years is my number one priority, and that’s why we are delivering the childcare rollout I know will be such a help to hard-pressed parents.

“This inherited plan comes with significant delivery challenges.

Working parents of children aged nine-months and up can now apply for free childcare / Credit: Troy T | Ryan Fields (via Unsplash)

“I must warn that for some parents it will not be plain sailing, and while I am excited to see children starting nursery for the first time, or parents being able to increase their working hours, the work for the Government starts now. 

“Over the next year, I will be working flat out with my team to ensure the next phase of the rollout is possible.”

In addition to the extension of funded childcare, the Government has also announced its intent to introduce new “wraparound” childcare places for primary school-aged children, both before and after the school day.

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It also comes after the Labour Party promised back in June to create an extra 100,000 nursery places nationwide if elected at the last General Election.

Find out if you’re eligible for free childcare on the gov.uk website here.

Featured Image – Tai’s Captures (via Unsplash)