Parents urged to apply for funded childcare before deadline
Parents from the least deprived backgrounds were also more likely to be aware of the rollout (78%) than parents from the most deprived backgrounds (65%).
Too many parents are still not taking up increased childcare support, the Government has said, as it urges families to apply before an end of year deadline.
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More than half a million parents may have saved £2,500 per child by Christmas due to accessing increased funded childcare, the Department for Education (DfE) said.
However, around two in five parents of children from ethnic minority backgrounds were not aware of the expansion of funded childcare to 30 hours a week in September 2025, according to polling by Ipsos.
Parents from the least deprived backgrounds were also more likely to be aware of the rollout (78%) than parents from the most deprived backgrounds (65%).
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Early education minister Olivia Bailey said: “With thousands of pounds of support available over a full year, I’d encourage all parents to check what they’re entitled to, so they don’t miss out on help that can make Christmas, and the months beyond, that little bit easier.”
Families in London were the least likely to be aware of the expansion in childcare support this September compared with parents from other regions, with fewer than three in five (57%) saying they were aware of the rollout.
Eligible working parents have been able to access 30 hours a week of funded childcare for children older than nine months since September 1.
The DfE said at the time the expansion could save parents £7,500 per year per child.
The Government is urging all parents to check their eligibility and apply before January 1 to access funded childcare. Parents whose children turned nine months old between the start of September and the end of the year have a December 31 deadline for applying for the 30 hours.
Alice Barrett, a mother to a three-year-old from Nottingham, said the expansion of childcare has saved her family more than £700 a month.
“Being able to access an additional day at a school-based nursery before my three-year-old starts school next September has meant I can work more hours, while knowing he’s settled and learning in a familiar school environment,” she said.
“That saving has really helped at Christmas, allowing us to afford festive outings and experiences we might otherwise have had to cut back on.”
The sector has previously warned some disadvantaged children are at risk of missing out if their parents do not work or do not earn enough to be eligible for government-funded childcare.