Northern Ireland: Information on free (funded) childcare in Northern Ireland

 

Childcare

Parents of children aged 3 and 4 years old can apply to receive 12.5 hours a week of free, also known as ‘funded’ pre-school education. This allocation can only be taken over 2.5 hours per day, 5 days a week during term time.
Places are provided by nursery schools, primary schools with nursery units and some voluntary and private providers. The places cannot be provided by childminders.
For more information, please visit NI Direct.
For further information and guidance about the childcare offer in Northern Ireland, parents should contact 38 (Irish) Brigade at:

RC-AWS-N-38X-0mailbox@mod.gov.uk.

Defence UK Nursery Authority (UKNA)

The UKNA is a Defence scheme that will reimburse eligible working parents in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for the difference in the costs of Early Years childcare hours, matching the “free” (Government funded) childcare hours they would be entitled to if assigned to England.

UKNA does not provide childcare spaces.

In England, working families can access 30 hours of Government funded childcare per child for 38 weeks annually. Through the UKNA scheme, from September 2026, eligible Armed Forces families may register to claim back the costs for the difference between English and Devolved Government funded hours.

For children aged between 9 months and 2 years old, eligible working families in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland can claim up to 30 hours per week for 38 weeks per year.

In Northern Ireland, eligible working families with children aged 3 can claim up to 30 hours per week for 38 weeks, while those with 4-year-olds can claim up to 17.5 hours per week for 38 weeks per year.

If you already receive free early years childcare hours from the Government in your location (Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland), Defence will reimburse you for the cost of extra hours to make the maximum number of funded hours that you will receive up to 30 hours per week. E.g. if you receive 12.5 hours per week for your child, Defence will reimburse you for the cost of 17.5 hours per week for 38 weeks per year.

Eligibility criteria for UKNA
Eligibility criteria for working parents of children aged between 9 months and 2 years old in Scotland and Wales, and 9 months to 4 years old in Northern Ireland, from September 2026. Regular or Full Time Reserve Service (Full Commitment) personnel.

• Both parents or a sole parent in a lone parent family, meet the minimum earnings threshold of earning at least the equivalent of 16 hours per week at the UK National Minimum or Living Wage.
• Either parent or a sole parent in a lone parent family does not exceed the maximum earning threshold of £100,000 adjusted net income per annum.
• Child is recorded and verified on JPA
• An active Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) account is in place for the child(ren). Active means that you reconfirm every 3 months and receive the top up from HMRC when you add money to the account.
• The childcare provider accepts TFC payments, all UKNA claims must first be paid via the child’s active TFC account.
• Child lives with the Service parent for at least 50% of the time except when separated for service reasons.

How to register and claim
Information on how to register and claim UKNA will be available on Discover My Benefits in due course
ContactFor queries about claims please contact your unit HR team or admin office.
For policy questions, email: PEOPLE-AFFS-CHILD-EXPENSES@Mod.gov.uk.

For more information on UKNA visit: Defence childcare information (accessible by MOD personnel only) or Defence Connect (sign-in required).