Education · Childcare and early years · England · January 2026
Can parents find childcare, and are the funded hours reaching the children meant to get them?
An estimated 8 in 10 eligible children aged 9 months to 2 years were registered for working-parent hours in January 2026, up from 72% a year earlier. Take-up is lower where need is greater: 71.6% of eligible disadvantaged two-year-olds were registered, below 74.8% in 2024.
Evidence last reviewed 7 October 2026
England: eligibility and take-up concern the specified ages and entitlement groups, not all children.
What families are entitled to
England has three funded entitlements, each paid to providers through councils. Childcare is devolved, so Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run their own schemes.
- Working parents: up to 30 hours a week for 38 weeks for children from 9 months to school age, since September 2025 (15 hours for 2-year-olds from April 2024 and from 9 months from September 2024). Each parent must expect to earn at least the equivalent of 16 hours a week at the applicable minimum wage, meet the adjusted-net-income limit, and reconfirm eligibility every three months. Check the linked government eligibility guidance for the current cash thresholds.
- Universal: 15 hours a week (570 hours a year) for every 3- and 4-year-old.
- Disadvantaged two-year-olds: 15 hours a week for 2-year-olds in families on Universal Credit under an income threshold, or with other qualifying needs.
The Department for Education is spending £9.5bn on early years in 2026–27, more than £1bn above 2025–26, with average hourly rates to providers up 4.3% to 4.95%. Councils also hold the legal duty to secure enough childcare for parents to work or train.
Elsewhere in the UK: Scotland funds up to 1,140 hours a year for 3–5-year-olds and some 2-year-olds; Wales offers up to 30 hours a week for 48 weeks for 3–4-year-olds of working parents; Northern Ireland pays a 15% childcare subsidy to working parents.
Who is using the hours
501,742 children aged 9 months to 2 years were registered for working-parent hours in January 2026. Take-up by eligible 3- and 4-year-olds of working parents reached 91%, the highest since the series began. The universal hours for 3- and 4-year-olds reach 90.2% of children, below the 97.2% of 2018, and the offer for disadvantaged two-year-olds reaches 71.6% of the children it is meant for.
Are the funded hours reaching the children they are meant for?
Take-up is highest for the universal hours and lowest for disadvantaged two-year-olds: 71.6% of eligible children in 2026
Estimated percentage of eligible children registered for each funded entitlement, England, January census. Universal: all 3–4-year-olds (reception counts as registered), 2012–2026. Working parents: eligible 3–4-year-olds, 2018–2026 (whole percentages). Disadvantaged 2-year-olds: eligible children, 2015–2026.
1996–2026 displayed window · observations only. Shading marks years outside the displayed record.
England · 2012 to 2026 · Accredited official statistics; eligible-children counts for the working-parent entitlement are survey-based estimates
Sources, definitions and data — Take-up is highest for the universal hours and lowest for disadvantaged two-year-olds: 71.6% of eligible children in 2026
- Geography:
- England — Children eligible for each entitlement (the denominators differ)
- Measure:
- Per cent of eligible children registered
- Period:
- 2012 to 2026
- Status:
- Accredited official statistics; eligible-children counts for the working-parent entitlement are survey-based estimates
- Calculation:
- As published; percentages rounded to one decimal place (working-parent figures are published as whole percentages).
- Compare with:
- Universal 3–4 take-up peaked at 97.2% in 2018; the series starts in 2012 (no earlier data in this release)
- Not included / breaks:
- The three lines use different eligible populations and must not be averaged. DfE revised the national percentages for 2022 to 2025 when population estimates changed, and says the 2025 figure for disadvantaged 2-year-olds should be treated with caution because many 2-year-olds eligible for both offers were recorded under the working-parent entitlement.
Source: DfE, Funded early education and childcare, reporting year 2026, Data file “Headline figures” (national, 2011–2026) (released 2 July 2026 (updated 29 July 2026)). Chart CC-01.
View the data as a table
| January | Universal 3–4 (%) | Working parents 3–4 (%) | Disadvantaged 2s (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2012 | 95.2 | — | — |
| Jan 2013 | 95.6 | — | — |
| Jan 2014 | 95.8 | — | — |
| Jan 2015 | 96.0 | — | 58.2 |
| Jan 2016 | 96.6 | — | 67.8 |
| Jan 2017 | 96.8 | — | 70.7 |
| Jan 2018 | 97.2 | 73 | 71.8 |
| Jan 2019 | 97.1 | 77 | 67.8 |
| Jan 2020 | 97.0 | 79 | 69.2 |
| Jan 2021 | 94.2 | 76 | 61.8 |
| Jan 2022 | 95.9 | 82 | 71.9 |
| Jan 2023 | 94.2 | 80 | 73.9 |
| Jan 2024 | 92.0 | 84 | 74.8 |
| Jan 2025 | 91.0 | 87 | 65.2 |
| Jan 2026 | 90.2 | 91 | 71.6 |
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
Which children of working parents are using the hours?
Take-up of working-parent hours rises with age: 46% at 9–11 months against 92% at age 2 (January 2026)
Estimated percentage of eligible children registered for the working-parent entitlement, by age, England, January 2026.
England · January 2026 · Accredited official statistics; DfE says treat these percentages with caution and plans to revise 2026
Sources, definitions and data — Take-up of working-parent hours rises with age: 46% at 9–11 months against 92% at age 2 (January 2026)
- Geography:
- England — Children eligible for the working-parent entitlement
- Measure:
- Per cent of eligible children registered (whole percentages)
- Period:
- January 2026
- Status:
- Accredited official statistics; DfE says treat these percentages with caution and plans to revise 2026
- Calculation:
- As published (whole percentages).
- Compare with:
- All children aged 9 months to 2 years: 80% (72% a year earlier)
- Not included / breaks:
- For 9–11-month-olds the eligibility estimate does not allow for parents still on maternity or paternity leave, so take-up at that age is understated.
Source: DfE, Funded early education and childcare, reporting year 2026, Data file “Headline figures” (national, 2011–2026) (released 2 July 2026 (updated 29 July 2026)). Chart CC-02.
View the data as a table
| Age | % of eligible registered (Jan 2026) | Registered | Estimated eligible |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9–11 months | 46 | 30,679 | 66,000 |
| 1 year | 76 | 210,825 | 278,000 |
| 2 years | 92 | 260,238 | 283,000 |
| 3–4 years | 91 | 388,741 | 425,000 |
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
Can parents find a place?
Places have grown even as the number of providers has fallen. Ofsted counted 59,700 childcare providers at 31 March 2026, down 720 (1%) on a year earlier, mostly because childminders left (24,700 (down 630)); there were 1.31 million places on the Early Years Register (up 26,500, 2%). In Summer 2026, 94% of the 587,205 eligibility codes issued to working parents of under-threes were validated by a provider — a code that is never used may mean a parent could not find a place, or did not need one.
Parents report improvement but not enough: 35% said there were not enough local childcare places in 2025 (39% a year earlier), and 18% of mothers said childcare problems stopped them working (25%).
Two different official estimates of the places and staff needed for the expansion are often quoted together, and should not be. Figures DfE gave the National Audit Office in February and March 2024 pointed to about 85,000 extra places and about 40,000 full-time-equivalent extra staff by September 2025. DfE’s own estimate of October 2024 was about 70,000 places and about 35,000 (headcount) above its December 2023 baseline. They use different baselines and units, so neither is a measure of the gap today; no council-level count of unmet demand has been published since.
Where do councils say there is not enough childcare?
Councils report the least childcare for parents working atypical hours (27%), rural areas (39%) and children with SEND (44%)
Percentage of councils in England reporting enough childcare for at least 75% of children in each group, 2026.
- 3–4-year-olds, working-parent hours83%
- 2-year-olds, working-parent hours79%
- Under-2s, working-parent hours75%
- Parents working full time60%
- Under-2s with no entitlement58%
- Children with SEND (early years)44%
- Rural areas39%
- Parents working atypical hours27%
England (councils responding) · Survey published March 2026 · Secondary-source analysis: a charity’s survey of councils’ own assessments, not official statistics
Sources, definitions and data — Councils report the least childcare for parents working atypical hours (27%), rural areas (39%) and children with SEND (44%)
- Geography:
- England (councils responding) — 137 councils (72 for rural areas)
- Measure:
- Per cent of responding councils
- Period:
- Survey published March 2026
- Status:
- Secondary-source analysis: a charity’s survey of councils’ own assessments, not official statistics
- Calculation:
- As published (Coram Table 2).
- Not included / breaks:
- A council’s judgement that it has enough childcare is a self-assessment, not a measured count of places against demand.
Source: Coram Family and Childcare, Childcare Survey 2026, Table 2, p.10 (released 18 March 2026). Chart CC-03.
View the data as a table
| Group | % of councils with enough childcare |
|---|---|
| 3–4-year-olds, working-parent hours | 83% |
| 2-year-olds, working-parent hours | 79% |
| Under-2s, working-parent hours | 75% |
| Parents working full time | 60% |
| Under-2s with no entitlement | 58% |
| Children with SEND (early years) | 44% |
| Rural areas | 39% |
| Parents working atypical hours | 27% |
What the evidence says
On parents’ work. The strongest English study compared mothers just either side of the dates that decide when a child becomes eligible. Free part-time nursery places had no effect on mothers’ employment (2.1 points more searching for work); full-time provision when a child starts school brought +3.5 points in employment and +5.7 points in participation by the end of the first year. The limit matters: the free hours largely replaced care parents already used (about 54 extra hours a year of formal care for 570 free hours), and the results come from 3–4-year-olds and school entry, not under-threes.
On the expansion so far. DfE’s process evaluation, published in September 2026, found 83% of councils but only 57% of providers saying demand was being met; 63% of providers restrict how funded hours can be used and 34% make a compulsory extra charge; 18% of councils report fewer places for disadvantaged two-year-olds. It is self-reported; the impact evaluation is due in late 2027.
On cost and benefit. The National Audit Office reported DfE’s estimate of £15.2bn extra from 2024–25 to 2027–28, a benefit-cost ratio of £1.26 of benefit for every £1, and 60,000 mothers entering or re-joining work by 2027–28 (an OBR estimate reported by the NAO). These are forecasts, not measured results.
Childcare also matters for children: 68.3% of five-year-olds reached a good level of development in 2024/25 (51.3% of those on free school meals, 72.5% of others), against a government ambition of 75% by 2028. Early language support in reception is covered on the Education page.
Where it stands since 20 July 2026
The working-parent hours were kept in a party-conference speech by the Education Secretary, Lucy Powell, on 27 September 2026, who called them a “gamechanger” the government is delivering. That is a party statement, not a GOV.UK policy statement. On 30 September 2026 support for families and babies was extended to all Best Start Family Hubs.
Not confirmed since the change of Prime Minister: the school-based nurseries programme, wraparound funding after March 2026, provider funding rates for 2027–28 and the 75% target. The Competition and Markets Authority opened a market study of early years and childcare on 1 July 2026; its interim report is due in December 2026. The Budget on 28 October 2026 is the next point at which funding could change.
What could change it
The options — keeping the entitlements as they are, raising provider rates, more school-based nurseries, outreach to eligible two-year-olds, and commissioning places only where councils can show a gap — are compared under the childcare finding on the Education page. The national plan’s childcare option is action A66: commission places where councils can show a gap, measured by take-up among disadvantaged two-year-olds and under-threes of working parents. Its costs are not established: no cost per commissioned place has been published.
For parents’ work more widely, see Jobs and pay.
Sources and methods (16)
- DfE, Funded early education and childcare, reporting year 2026, Data file “Headline figures” (national, 2011–2026) (released 2 July 2026 (updated 29 July 2026)) — Registrations and take-up by entitlement and age (stored series and age table).
- DfE, Expansion to early childcare entitlements: eligibility codes issued and validated, July 2026, Summer 2026 headline statistics (released 6 July 2026) — Eligibility codes issued and validated.
- DfE, Childcare and early years survey of parents, 2025, Data file “Availability not enough” (released 9 July 2026) — Parents saying there are not enough local places; mothers prevented from working.
- DfE, Childcare and early years provider survey, 2025, Headline statistics (released 11 December 2025) — Providers, places, staff and turnover.
- Ofsted, Childcare providers and inspections as at 31 March 2026: main findings (released 9 July 2026) — Registered providers and places, joiners and leavers.
- Coram Family and Childcare, Childcare Survey 2026, Table 2, p.10 (released 18 March 2026) — Council sufficiency by group (secondary source).
- Brewer, Cattan, Crawford and Rabe, Does more free childcare help parents work more? (Labour Economics, 2022; IFS working paper W16/22), Abstract — Effect of free childcare on mothers’ work.
- DfE (IFF Research), Expanded childcare entitlement: process evaluation report (released September 2026) — Councils’ and providers’ reports on the expansion.
- National Audit Office, Preparations to extend early years entitlements for working parents in England (HC 701), Summary (released 24 April 2024) — Costs, benefit-cost ratio and the February/March 2024 capacity estimate.
- DfE, Early years places and workforce need (released 17 October 2024) — DfE’s October 2024 places and workforce estimate.
- DfE, Record £9.5 billion early years investment (released 15 December 2025) — Early years funding for 2026–27.
- GOV.UK, Free childcare if you’re working: check you’re eligible — Eligibility rules for working-parent hours.
- DfE, Early years foundation stage profile results, 2024/25, Headline measures (released 27 November 2025) — Good level of development at age 5.
- Labour Party, Lucy Powell’s speech to Labour Party Conference 2026 (party speech, not a government statement) (released 27 September 2026) — The Burnham-era position (party speech).
- DfE, Support for families and babies rolled out to all family hubs (released 30 September 2026) — Family hubs roll-out, 30 September 2026.
- Competition and Markets Authority, Early years education and childcare market study (released Launched 1 July 2026) — The competition authority’s market study and timetable.
Method notes
- Take-up is the estimated percentage of eligible children registered for an entitlement in the January census; registration is not attendance or hours used.
- Working-parent eligibility is estimated by DfE from surveys and is published rounded with whole percentages; DfE plans to revise 2026. The universal 3–4 percentage uses ONS population estimates and projections, so it moves when they are revised.
- The charts start when each series starts (universal hours 2012, disadvantaged two-year-olds 2015, working-parent hours for 3–4-year-olds 2018, under-threes 2025); no comparable data exist from 2000.
- The NAO and DfE capacity estimates are different estimates with different baselines and units (full-time-equivalent against headcount) and are not combined.
- Coram’s council sufficiency figures are a secondary source and a self-assessment; they are shown with that label.