Spring Budget Announcements - Changes to Childcare Policy

Following the recent announcements in the Spring Budget, Gloucestershire Early Years Service are keen to gather as much information as we can from local childcare providers regarding the potential impact these budget changes may have on your business.

Change in ages of eligible children

Currently, working parents with three and four-year-olds are eligible to receive 30 hours of free childcare per week.

Now the Chancellor has promised up to 30 hours a week of free childcare in England with children as young as nine months, instead of three- and four-year-olds.

The changes, which will be fully introduced by September 2025.

New care for parents in England will be introduced in stages:

1. Working parents of two-year-olds will get 15 hours of free care from April 2024,

2. Children from nine months will get 15 hours free childcare from September 2024

3. All eligible under-5s will get 30 hours free childcare from September 2025.

4. The government will pay childcare support to parents on universal credit up front.

Gloucestershire Early Years Service acknowledge the challenges faced by the Early Years sector locally and nationally. In order for us to support providers with the introduction of the revised offer, we welcome your feedback and urge you to give as much information as you can via this post budget survey.

Your responses to the questions and supporting feedback will be invaluable in giving us a full understanding of what the sector require and how best Gloucestershire Early Years Service can support you.

For details about how we deal with your comments and your personal details, please visit our website.

How to respond

To respond to this survey click on the link below.

Take Survey

The survey closes on Friday 23 June, at 5pm.