September 2025 completed the expansion of funded childcare in England: children aged nine months to four years with eligible working parents now get 30 funded hours a week during term time, up from 15. For those families a full‑time nursery place has fallen 39% in a year. For families who do not qualify, prices have carried on rising — a part‑time place for a child under two now averages £188.75 a week, the highest in the 25 years the Coram survey has run.
In September 2025 the expansion of funded childcare in England finished rolling out. Children aged nine months to four years with eligible working parents now get 30 funded hours a week for 38 weeks a year, up from 15. The effect on costs has been dramatic — but only for families who qualify. For everyone else, prices have carried on rising.
Part-time costs (25 hours a week)
For a child under two in England whose parents are eligible for the 30-hour entitlement, 25 hours during term time now costs nothing. In practice there may still be charges for deposits (which must be refundable) or for consumables and activities (which must be voluntary).
Families who are not eligible pay the full price: an average of £188.75 a week for 25 hours in a nursery, or £155.28 with a childminder. That figure has risen 4.6% in a year, and it is now the highest it has ever been in the 25 years the survey has run.
There is no equivalent entitlement for under-twos in Scotland or Wales — funding there starts at age two at the earliest. A part-time nursery place averages £133.08 a week in Scotland and £163.33 in Wales.
Full-time costs (50 hours a week)
For eligible working families in England, a full-time nursery place for a child under two now averages £148.82 a week — that is the 20 hours you pay for on top of the 30 funded hours. It has fallen 38.9% in a single year.
Without any funded entitlement, the same 50-hour place costs £372.06 a week. This is the figure that applies to families outside the eligibility criteria, and also to any family during school holidays, when the entitlement does not run.
In Scotland a full-time nursery place for an under-two is £259.10 a week, and in Wales £325.12 — both up on last year (5.3% and 10.5% respectively), as neither nation has an entitlement for this age group.
How full-time costs vary across England
Average weekly cost of a 50-hour nursery place for a child under two, after the 30-hour entitlement:
- Inner London £185.10
- Outer London £171.39
- South East £161.28
- East of England £154.56
- England average £148.82
- South West £145.34
- West Midlands £141.79
- North East £140.30
- North West £135.54
- East Midlands £127.70
- Yorkshire and the Humber £126.38
Inner London is 46% more expensive than Yorkshire and the Humber. Note that some regions contain far fewer local authorities than others, so a few large authorities can move a regional figure noticeably.
The 38-week catch
England's entitlement covers 38 weeks a year, not 52 — so the weekly figures above apply during term time only. Most working families need childcare year-round, which leaves two options: pay the unfunded rate during school holidays, or 'stretch' the entitlement across the year. Stretching commonly gives around 22 funded hours a week instead of 30, so the weekly bill is higher but consistent. Not every provider offers stretching.
Scotland and Wales are set up differently. Scotland's entitlement is an annual total — 1,140 hours — which councils and providers deliver either as around 30 hours a week over 38 weeks or around 22 hours over 52. Wales funds up to 48 weeks a year, so only around four weeks fall outside it.
This is why annualising a term-time weekly rate is misleading, and why the headline "free" figure rarely matches what lands on the invoice. Confusion about entitlements being free was the single most common query to council Family Information Services in 2025, raised in the top three issues by 65% of local authorities.
Why prices vary between settings
Beyond region, the main drivers are the child's age — under-twos require a 1:3 staff ratio — session length, and what is included (meals, nappies, extended-day drop-offs). Quality and specialism matter too: Outstanding ratings, Montessori and Forest School curricula typically command a premium.
Government help in 2026
Funded hours are devolved, so what you get depends on which nation you live in.
England
- 30 hours a week for 38 weeks, for children aged nine months to school age, where each working parent expects to earn at least the equivalent of 16 hours a week at National Minimum Wage (£2,643.68 over three months if you're 21 or over) and neither has an adjusted net income over £100,000.
- 15 hours a week for 38 weeks for all three- and four-year-olds, regardless of income or work — topped up to 30 if you also meet the working-parent test.
- 15 hours a week for two-year-olds in families on Universal Credit earning £15,400 a year or less after tax, on certain other benefits, or where the child has an EHC plan, gets DLA, or is in or has left care.
- You must reconfirm your details every three months or the funding stops. Full rules and how to apply: funded hours in England.
Scotland
- 1,140 funded hours a year for every three- and four-year-old, from the term after their third birthday until they start school — universal, with no income or work test.
- The same 1,140 hours for eligible two-year-olds: households on Universal Credit with monthly take-home pay of £885 or less, on certain other benefits, or children who are care experienced. Once eligible, always eligible.
- If your child is still four when they're due to start P1, you can defer and keep a funded place for that extra year.
- Full rules and how to apply: funded hours in Scotland.
Wales
- Childcare Offer for Wales: up to 30 hours a week for up to 48 weeks a year for three- and four-year-olds of working parents — 10 hours of early education plus up to 20 hours of childcare. The earnings test mirrors England's: at least the equivalent of 16 hours a week at minimum wage, under £100,000 each.
- Flying Start: 12.5 hours a week for 39 weeks for two- to three-year-olds, historically postcode-targeted but being expanded, so check with your council even if you've been told before you're not covered.
- Full rules and how to apply: funded hours in Wales.
UK-wide
- Tax-Free Childcare: pays 20% of fees up to £2,000 per child a year, or £4,000 if your child is disabled.
- Universal Credit childcare element: reimburses up to 85% of fees, capped at £1,031.88 a month for one child or £1,768.94 for two or more.
Keeping costs down
Our Nuuri Cost Calculator will estimate your annual bill: it takes the average day rate for your area or a specific nursery, your attendance pattern and your funded hours, adds the supplementary charge settings make for consumables, and applies Tax‑Free Childcare or Universal Credit. It will also tell you whether your nation lets you spread funded hours across the year.
For guidance on managing waiting lists, see our Nursery Waiting Lists Guide, and if you are comparing providers on Nuuri, read our guide to choosing a nursery for questions to ask during your visit.
Source
All cost figures on this page come from the Coram Family and Childcare Childcare Survey 2026, the annual survey of childcare prices reported by local authorities across England, Scotland and Wales. They are weighted regional and national averages for nurseries, shown before Tax‑Free Childcare or Universal Credit support is applied. Individual settings vary widely, so always confirm current fees with the nursery itself.
Last updated: 15 September 2026
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