Increase to Early Years childcare funded hours for eligible working families assigned overseas

From September 2025 eligible working families assigned overseas will have access to up to 30 hours of funded Early Years childcare for their children aged from 9 months old.

Early Years funded childcare overseas.

To reflect the offer available in England, all families assigned overseas with children aged 3 to 4 years old, and 2-year-old children in receipt of additional government support, are entitled to 15 hours of funded childcare per week during term time (38 weeks per year).

Defence is expanding the childcare offer for working families assigned overseas with children aged 9 months to school starting age, to match the entitlement in England.

From September 2025 eligible working families can claim funding for up to 30 hours per week, per child aged 9 months old to school starting age, during term time (38 weeks per year).

This is an increase to the additional funded hours that became available in September 2024, in which 15 hours of Early Years childcare funding, per week, per child, during term time, became available for eligible working families with children aged 9 months to 3 years old.

For more information about the Early Years Childcare available in England, please go to Early Years childcare | Childcare Choices (GOV.UK).

When can parents assigned overseas access the funded childcare hours?

From September 2025 Eligible working families will be entitled to the additional funded hours from the term after their child turns 9 months old.

Who is eligible?

• Regular Service personnel including FTRS (FC)
• UK Based Civil Servants (UKBCs) assigned overseas with accompanying pre-school aged children. Fee-paying contractors cannot apply.

To be eligible for the additional funding available to working families, both parents i.e. the Defence person and their spouse/partner (or a sole parent in a lone parent family), must meet the minimum earnings threshold, of at least the equivalent of 16 hours per week at the UK National Minimum or Living Wage, and not exceed the maximum earnings threshold of £100,000 per year adjusted net income.

What do parents need to do?

• Check eligibility by reading the DIN content.
• Identify a suitable Defence Children Services (DCS) setting.

Where there is no DCS provider, or if DCS are unable to meet the requirements of the family, Overseas Nursery Authority (ONA) can be applied for and used. However, the childcare provider must be registered, regulated and inspected by the host nation.

• Get sign-off from Commanding Officer, Commander, or Head of Location for non DCS Providers, or the Head Teacher / Early Years Manager for DCS providers.
• Keep supporting evidence/receipts of application forms and ongoing claims for audit purposes.

Full information can be found in the DIN, search ‘Funded childcare entitlements and processes for overseas Service personnel and UK Based Civil Servants (UKBCs) with accompanying pre-school aged children’ on defnet: DINs Search or Defence Connect: Group: Defence Instruction Notices - DIN's | Defence Connect

Further guidance can be found on the Defence Childcare Information Page on defnet or Defence Connect.

Families can find further information on Discover My Benefits - Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force

Early Years childcare within the UK

Defence remains committed to enabling access to appropriate, enriching, and safe childcare for the children of Service families.

Options are being developed for how Defence might provide parity in pre-school childcare for those serving within the UK, recognising that this is likely to have tax implications for those impacted. The options analysis will conclude during 2025.

Who to contact if you have any questions.

Early Years childcare funding overseas, email:

PEOPLE-AFFS-Child-Expenses@mod.gov.uk