Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department has available for parents who find employment after August's 30 free hours application deadline and before the application process reopening for January 2018.

Working parents, or parents expecting to start a new job in the next 14 days, who believe they are eligible for 30 hours can make an application through the childcare service. The Department published the guidance document, 30 hours free childcare: eligibility, which sets out the eligibility requirements for 30 hours free childcare. This is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/30-hours-free-childcare-eligibility.

A parent can claim 30 hours the term following the child’s third birthday and the term following receipt of their eligibility code from HMRC (whichever is later). This is set out in the Department’s guidance Early years entitlements: operational guidance to support local authorities and childcare providers, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/30-hours-free-childcare-la-and-early-years-provider-guide.

Further guidance for parents can also be found at: https://childcare-support.tax.service.gov.uk/.