Free childcare in Scotland | Eligibility

All three and four-year-olds in Scotland are entitled to 1,140 hours of free childcare per year. This is funded by the Scottish government and local authorities. Some two-year-olds can also access free childcare, depending on their circumstances or if their parents receive some form of support.

How much free childcare do you get in Scotland?

The 1,140 hours free early learning and childcare hours enable all three and four-year-olds and eligible two-year-olds to be in nursery or use other early years provision for 30 hours per week during school term time (38 weeks), or close to 22 hours a week if spread across the year.

How can government-funded childcare hours be used?

The government-funded hours can be used at a wide range of early learning and childcare settings. A parent or carer of eligible children can get access to free childcare at settings such as nurseries, childminders or playgroups.

The setting can be run by a local authority or privately or voluntary as long as they have a partnership with their local authorities.

Types of early learning and childcare provision where you can use the hours include:

• Day nurseries and nursery schools
• Nursery classes in primary and independent schools
• Playgroups
• Childminders
• Child and family and community childcare centres

You can choose to use the hours at only one early years setting, or combination. This will depend on your family’s circumstances and/or what is available in your area.

You can use a maximum of 30 hours per week. As mentioned above, this works out at 38 weeks over the course of a year. You cannot use more hours over fewer weeks, such as 40 hours per week for 28 weeks.

However, if your provider allows, you can use fewer hours per week but spread them across a larger portion of the year.

It is important to note that you do not have to use all the funded hours. The free hours are an entitlement as opposed to a requirement, which means you can choose to use all hours, half the hours or even none of the hours.

Who is entitled to free childcare in Scotland?

If your child is three or four years old, they are entitled to either 600 or 1,140 free hours of childcare, depending on if your local council has implemented the extended hours.

However, if your provider allows, you can use fewer hours per week but spread them across a larger portion of the year.

Visit your local authority’s website to check availability.

Free childcare for 2-year-olds

Some two-year-olds in Scotland can access government-funded early learning and childcare and get up to 16 or 30 hours free childcare per week.

Whether they are entitled to the free hours or not depends on either the child’s or their parents’ circumstances.

Two-year-olds in Scotland can get free childcare if they are:

• looked after by a local authority
• the subject of a kinship care order
• the subject of a guardianship order

Your child will also be entitled to the funded hours if you receive one of the following benefits:

• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income Support
• An income-related element of Employment And Support Allowance
• State Pension Credit
• Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• Universal Credit, and your household take-home pay is £660 a month or less
• You are on Child Tax Credit, but not Working Tax Credit, and earn £17,005 or less per year
• You are on both Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit, and earn £7,920 or less per year

Once your child has qualified for early learning and childcare and is entitled to the free hours, they will stay qualified, regardless if you find employment or their circumstances change.

When to apply

When you should apply for the funded hours depends on your child’s birthday and your local authority’s process.

Some local authorities only accept applications during a certain period of the year, which could be up to a year in advance. Your child will still be entitled to the hours if you miss the deadline, but you may miss out on your preferred choice of setting.

This means that you should check with your local council to find out what the application dates are.

When you can start claiming the hours depends on when your child is born:

Birthday between 1 March – 31 August

• From August (autumn term)

Birthday between 1 September – 31 December

• From January (spring term)

Birthday between 1 January – last day of February

• From March/April (summer term)

You can check the exact term start dates with your local authority.

How to apply

The application process for funded early learning and childcare works differently between local authorities across Scotland.

It is worth it to check dates and how the process works where you live well in advance, this ensures that you have a higher chance of securing a place at the setting you prefer.

From the Scottish government’s website, you can navigate directly to your local authorities early learning and childcare site. Click here to start your application.

For more information on how to get help with nursery and childcare costs, click here.