Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt has announced the expansion of funded childcare hours for children aged over nine months, as part of his Spring Budget.
Announcing his Budget for 2023, Hunt said that the current system in England, which offers 30 hours of funded childcare to parents of three- and four-year-olds who work the equivalent of 16 hours per week on National Minimum Wage, will be expanded to cover the lower age group.
The reforms, which will match the eligibility of the current three- and four-year-old offer, will be introduced in stages with all parents of children under five able to access 30 hours of funded childcare from September 2025, Hunt said.
