Key announcements

Due to maintenance, some of our online forms and systems will be unavailable from 6:00am on Saturday 30 March to 7:00am on Monday 1 April. We are sorry for any inconvenience. To find out more about the section 114 notice, visit our section 114 page

Funded childcare for 3 and 4 year olds

A Government funded 3 and 4 year old place is available for all families in England. All 3 and 4 year old children will receive;

  • 15 hours of free childcare or early education for 38 weeks
  • A total of 570 hours per year, which you can use flexibly with one or more childcare provider
  • Some providers will allow you to ‘stretch’ the hours over 52 weeks, using fewer hours per week

You do not need to apply for a code to access 15 hours for 3 and 4 year olds. Contact your local nursery or childminder directly and find out when you can start. Funded places can be accessed as below;

  • children born in the period 1 January to 31 March - the start of term beginning on or following 1 April after the child’s birthday
  • children born in the period 1 April to 31 August - the start of term beginning on or following 1 September after the child’s birthday
  • children born in the period 1 September to 31 December - the start of term beginning on or following 1 January after the child’s birthday

Children can start a funded place from the first day of term until the below headcount date:

  • autumn census - first Thursday in October
  • spring census - third Thursday in January
  • summer census - third Thursday in May

If you have never accessed a funded place before but you have missed the deadline above, speak to your childcare provider to see if they can arrange a late start.

If a child leaves a funded place before the headcount date or starts after the above headcount date, the provider may charge the family for the agreed funded hours.

If you have any questions about accessing an early education place, email earlyeducation@birmingham.gov.uk


Page last updated: 9 February 2024

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