Family Sums

Nursery cost and funded hours calculator

Put in your nursery’s day rate and how many days your child goes. You’ll see what you pay after funded hours and Tax-Free Childcare, and when the funding starts.

Where do you live?
How old is your child?
How does your nursery offer the funded hours?
Child’s date of birth Optional. Shows when funding starts. For example, 14 8 2025
Fill in the form and your result appears here.

Uses funded childcare rules for 2026/27. Last checked . Sources

Figures this calculator uses

England, working parents
30 hours a week, 38 weeks (1,140 hours)
England, all 3 and 4 year olds
15 hours a week (570 hours)
Scotland, 3 and 4 year olds
1,140 hours a year
Income limit for 30 hours
£100,000 each
Tax-Free Childcare
£2 for every £8, up to £2,000

How the cost is worked out

  1. Hourly rate = price per day ÷ hours in a day.
  2. Hours a year = hours in a day × days a week × weeks a year.
  3. Funded hours used: with term-time funding, up to 30 (or 15) hours in each of 38 weeks. With stretched funding, up to 1,140 (or 570) hours across the year.
  4. You pay for the hours left, plus any extra charges.
  5. Tax-Free Childcare pays 20% of what’s left, up to £2,000 a year per child.

Nurseries are paid a set rate by the council for funded hours, so most add charges or limit when the hours can be used. Treat the result as a starting point to compare against your nursery’s own invoice.

Worked example

A couple in Bristol both work full time. Their daughter is 14 months old and goes to nursery 3 days a week, 8am to 6pm, at £75 a day, for 51 weeks. The nursery stretches the funded hours.

  • Hourly rate: £75 ÷ 10 = £7.50
  • Hours a year: 10 × 3 × 51 = 1,530
  • Funded hours used: 1,140 (worth £8,550)
  • Hours to pay for: 390, costing £2,925
  • Tax-Free Childcare adds £585, so they pay £2,340 a year, or £195 a month

Without funding, the same place would cost £11,475 a year.

Questions people ask

Is the 30 hours free childcare really free?

The hours themselves are funded, but nurseries can charge for extras such as meals, nappies and trips, as long as these are optional. Many nurseries also only offer the hours within set sessions. Ask for a written breakdown of what you’ll pay on top.

Who gets 30 hours of funded childcare in England?

Working parents of children from 9 months old until they start school. Each parent (or a single parent) must expect to earn at least the equivalent of 16 hours a week at the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage over the next three months, and neither can have an adjusted net income over £100,000. You reconfirm every three months.

When does funded childcare start?

In England the hours start from the term after your child reaches the age: 1 January, 1 April or 1 September. A child who turns 9 months in October can get the hours from 1 January, as long as you applied and got a code before the end of December.

What is the difference between term-time and stretched hours?

30 hours a week for 38 weeks adds up to 1,140 hours a year. Some nurseries let you spread these across more weeks, for example about 22 hours a week for 51 weeks. If your child is in for fewer than 30 hours in term weeks, stretching usually means you use more of the funded hours.

Can I use Tax-Free Childcare as well as 30 hours?

Yes, if you meet the work and income rules and your nursery is signed up. For every £8 you pay into a Tax-Free Childcare account, the government adds £2, up to £2,000 a year per child (£4,000 if your child is disabled). You can use it for the hours that aren’t funded. You can’t use it if you get Universal Credit childcare costs.

What do families in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland get?

Scotland gives every 3 and 4 year old, and eligible 2 year olds, 1,140 funded hours a year whatever the parents earn. Wales gives 3 and 4 year olds of working parents up to 30 hours a week for 48 weeks through the Childcare Offer, made up of early education and childcare. Northern Ireland has no general funded hours, but children in their pre-school year can get a funded place, and working parents may get help through the NI Childcare Subsidy Scheme as well as Tax-Free Childcare.

Sources

Rates
Funded childcare rules for 2026/27
Last reviewed
Written by
Author to be confirmed
Reviewed by
Reviewer to be confirmed (A childcare funding or HR and payroll specialist)

This is an estimate to help you plan, not financial, legal or education advice. Read how we calculate and our disclaimer. Spotted a mistake? Report a problem.

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