Childcare support gets a boost

Parents looking to return to work will benefit from a range of measures in the spring Budget to help with childcare.

Childcare costs in the UK are among the highest in the world and a significant barrier to working for parents, especially mothers. The plans are designed to encourage more people back to work to boost economic growth.

Staged improvements over two and a half years

The increase in free childcare will be rolled out in stages to keep pace with the increasing supply of childcare services:

• From April 2024, all working parents of two-year-olds will be entitled to 15 hours a week.
• From September 2024, working parents of children aged 9 months to three years will be able to access 15 hours a week.
• From September 2025, working parents of children aged 9 months to three years will be entitled to 30 hours of free childcare a week.

Spread hours

Free childcare will be provided for 38 weeks a year but where parents need it for more than 38 weeks, they will be able to spread their free hours over a higher number of weeks.

Adjustments for affordability

To increase availability of childcare the government will increase the hourly rate paid to providers for the free hours and reduce staff-to-child ratios for two-yearolds from 1:4 to 1:5.