'30 hours funded childcare' – what you can and can't be charged for as rules in England clarified

In England, if you have a child aged nine months to four years, you may be able to get up to 30 hours of funded childcare a week under the Government's 'free' childcare scheme. Whether you qualify and how many hours you get depends on your child's age, if you're in work and how much you earn.

We typically refer to the scheme as being 'funded' rather than 'free' – you can hear MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis talking about the scheme, alongside secretary of state for education Bridget Phillipson, in a childcare special of The Martin Lewis Podcast last May.

For further information, including how similar funded childcare schemes operate in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, see our Help with childcare costs guide.

You CAN'T be charged for toys, registration fees and more

The Government's guidance states that there "must not be any mandatory charges for parents in relation to the free hours". It adds that "Government funding is not intended to cover the costs of meals, other consumables, additional hours or additional services".

It goes on to say that parents must not be charged for things that are part of delivering free childcare hours, including:

• Top-up fees to cover the gap between the amount the childcare provider receives from the council for a funded place and the amount the provider then charges.

• Equipment or learning resources that are "necessary for the effective delivery of childcare". This can include craft materials, books, instruments, toys and more.

• Childcare business costs. This includes, but is not limited to, rent, insurance, utility bills, staff wages and cleaning materials or services.

• Registration or administration fees and non-refundable deposits – if they're a condition of whether a parent is able to access funded childcare.

• Additional support costs for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

This also includes any other additional fees that are not specifically identified and itemised as being for chargeable extras.

You CAN be charged for certain extras – but only with consent

According to the new guidance, childcare providers can still offer and ask parents to pay for certain genuine optional extras, but only if they are clearly priced – and crucially, parents can opt out without losing their funded place. These charges can include:

• Nappies or sun cream.

• Meals and snacks provided to the child.

• Extra optional activities or classes – this includes any activity that is not directly related to the 'Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)' statutory framework, which sets the standards for childcare providers working with children aged five and under.

• Additional, private paid-for childcare hours.

Childcare providers must also allow for "reasonable alternatives" that enable parents to access the funded hours entitlement for free – this could included allowing parents to supply their own add-ons, or waiving the cost of these items.

Providers must offer price lists and itemised invoices

The Government has also confirmed that:

• Childcare providers must publish a list of chargeable extras on their websites. If the provider does not have a website, these charges should be published on the local council's website.

• Invoices and receipts should be itemised. They should be broken down into separate charges for free entitlement hours, any additional paid hours, food charges, non-food consumables charges (including sun cream, nappies and more), and activities charges.

Got a problem? If issues are not resolved by the childcare provider, you can complain to your local authority, which oversees funded childcare places and has the power to investigate charging practices, require corrections, recover funding paid incorrectly and, where problems persist, remove providers from the funded system.