How Funded Childcare Hours Work in Wales (2026)

If you're a parent in Wales, there's a good chance you're entitled to funded childcare hours — but the system isn't always easy to navigate. Wales has its own schemes, separate from England's expanded entitlements, and the eligibility rules, application process, and coverage can be confusing.

This guide explains the two main funded childcare programmes available to Welsh families in 2026: Flying Start for 2–3 year olds and the Childcare Offer for Wales for 3–4 year olds. We'll cover who qualifies, how to apply, what's included, and what you'll still need to pay for.

How much would you pay even with funded hours? Use our childcare cost calculator to work out the gap between your funded entitlement and the actual cost of the hours you need.

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Flying Start: Free Childcare for 2–3 Year Olds

What is it?

Flying Start is a Welsh Government programme that provides 12.5 hours per week of free, high-quality childcare for children aged 2–3, for 39 weeks per year (term-time). It's part of a broader package that also includes enhanced health visiting, parenting support, and speech and language development.

Who qualifies?

Flying Start eligibility is based on where you live. The programme was originally limited to specific postcode areas across Wales — typically the most deprived communities. However, the Welsh Government has been progressively expanding eligibility since 2022 as part of its Co-operation Agreement commitment.

By 2025–26, the expansion has significantly widened access. In most Welsh local authorities, all or nearly all 2-year-olds now qualify for at least the childcare element of Flying Start. However, the roll-out has been phased and varies by area.

To check if your child qualifies:

• Contact your local authority's Flying Start team (a quick Google search for "[your council name] Flying Start" will find the right contact)
• Your health visitor should also be able to confirm eligibility
• The Welsh Government's family information service can point you to local resources

What's covered?

• 12.5 hours per week of childcare (typically five 2.5-hour sessions)
• Sessions must be at a registered Flying Start setting — not all nurseries participate, so check with your preferred provider
• The childcare is free — no top-up fees should be charged for the funded sessions themselves
• Meals and snacks during funded sessions are usually included, but this varies by setting

What's NOT covered?

• Any hours beyond the 12.5 per week — you'll pay the provider's standard rate for additional hours
• Holiday periods (Flying Start is term-time only, 39 weeks)
• Nappies and wipes — most settings expect parents to supply these or charge a small consumables fee
• Transport to and from the setting

How to apply

Contact your local authority's Flying Start team. They'll confirm eligibility based on your address and help you find participating settings. There's no online application portal at the national level — it's handled locally.

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The Childcare Offer for Wales: 30 Hours for 3–4 Year Olds

What is it?

The Childcare Offer for Wales provides up to 30 hours per week of combined early education and childcare for working parents of 3 and 4-year-olds, for up to 48 weeks per year. This is the Welsh equivalent of England's 30 hours free childcare, though it works differently in practice.

The 30 hours breaks down as:

• 10 hours per week of Foundation Phase education (the early education component, delivered by maintained schools or funded settings) — this is universal, available to all 3–4 year olds regardless of work status
• 20 hours per week of additional funded childcare — this is the means-tested part, available only to working parents who meet the eligibility criteria

Who qualifies for the full 30 hours?

To qualify for the childcare element (the extra 20 hours on top of the 10 hours of education), both parents (or the sole parent in a single-parent household) must:

• Be working and earning at least the equivalent of 16 hours per week at the National Living Wage. For 2026, this means earning at least approximately £192 per week (16 × £12.00)
• Earn less than £100,000 per year each
• Live in Wales with a child aged 3 or 4

Self-employed parents qualify, provided they meet the minimum earnings threshold. Parents on maternity, paternity, or adoption leave, or those who are temporarily unable to work due to illness, also remain eligible for a limited period.

What about the 10 hours of education?

The 10-hour education component (Foundation Phase Nursery) is available to all 3 and 4-year-olds in Wales, regardless of parents' work status. Your child becomes eligible the term after their third birthday. This is delivered through:

• Maintained nursery classes in primary schools
• Funded non-maintained settings (private nurseries, Cylchoedd Meithrin, playgroups)

Many parents combine the 10 hours of education with the 20 hours of funded childcare to get the full 30-hour entitlement. Some settings deliver both elements, making the logistics simpler.

What's covered?

• Up to 20 hours of childcare per week (on top of the 10 education hours), for up to 48 weeks per year
• The funded rate covers the cost of the childcare session itself
• Settings cannot charge top-up fees for the funded hours — however, they can charge for meals, snacks, nappies, and consumables

What's NOT covered?

• Meals and snacks — most settings charge separately for food, typically £3–£6 per day
• Nappies, wipes, and consumables — either supplied by parents or charged as a small daily fee
• Additional hours beyond the 30 — if you need 50 hours per week for full-time work, you'll pay the provider's standard rate for the extra 20 hours
• Holiday clubs and wrap-around care that fall outside the funded hours

How to apply

Applications are handled through your local authority. The process typically involves:

1. Check eligibility using the Childcare Offer eligibility checker on the Welsh Government website
2. Apply online through your local authority's portal — the Welsh Government's website links to each council's application page
3. Provide evidence of employment and earnings (payslips, self-employment records)
4. Choose a registered provider — your nursery or childminder must be registered with CIW and signed up to deliver the Offer
5. Reconfirm eligibility each term — you'll need to verify your employment status continues to meet the criteria

Most councils process applications within 2–4 weeks. Apply as soon as your child turns 3 (or shortly before) to avoid gaps in coverage.

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How the Schemes Interact

Here's the typical journey for a Welsh family:

Age	Entitlement	Hours	Weeks/year
0–2	None (unless in a Flying Start area)	—	—
2–3	Flying Start (if eligible)	12.5 hrs/week	39 (term-time)
3–4	Foundation Phase education (universal)	10 hrs/week	38 (term-time)
3–4	Childcare Offer (working parents)	+20 hrs/week	48
3–4	Combined total	30 hrs/week	Up to 48

The gap that catches many parents off guard is the transition from Flying Start (12.5 hours) to the Childcare Offer (30 hours). If you were receiving Flying Start and your child turns 3, you'll need to actively apply for the Childcare Offer — it doesn't happen automatically. There may also be a gap of a few weeks if the Offer hasn't been processed by the time Flying Start ends.

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Wales vs England: How Do They Compare?

If you've moved from England or are comparing the two systems, here are the key differences:

• England now offers funded hours from 9 months for working parents (15 hours, rising to 30 hours). Wales has no equivalent for under-2s (unless Flying Start applies).
• England's scheme is delivered through HMRC's childcare service (a single national portal). Wales uses local authority-level administration, which can be less streamlined.
• The Childcare Offer for Wales runs for 48 weeks per year, which is more generous than England's 38-week term-time entitlement (though some English councils offer stretched entitlements).
• Wales's 30-hour entitlement splits into education (10 hours) and childcare (20 hours). England's 30 hours is treated as a single block.

For a detailed breakdown of what childcare actually costs in Wales after funded hours, read our childcare costs in Wales guide.

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Tax-Free Childcare: The Scheme That Works Across Both Countries

Regardless of whether you're in England or Wales, working parents can also access Tax-Free Childcare through HMRC. For every £8 you pay into a government childcare account, the government tops it up with an additional £2 — up to a maximum of £2,000 per child per year (or £4,000 for disabled children).

This can be used alongside the funded hours for any additional hours you pay for. It's worth setting up even if you're receiving the full 30 hours, as most parents still have some out-of-pocket childcare costs (meals, extra hours, holiday care).

Apply via the government's childcare service.

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Next Steps

1. Check your eligibility for the Childcare Offer for Wales
2. Calculate your costs after funded hours — see what you'll actually pay out of pocket
3. Find nurseries near you on ChildcareHub — filter by area and CIW rating
4. Read the nursery visit checklist — know what to look for and ask

City guides for Welsh parents

• Nurseries in Cardiff — 179 settings, area-by-area breakdown
• Nurseries in Swansea — 360 settings across the SA postcode area
• Nurseries in Newport — 241 settings including Cwmbran and Torfaen