How 30 hours free childcare + best start hubs impact clubs
Written by The MagicBooking team | Sep 15, 2025
13 min read
The UK childcare system changed on 1 September 2025. From this date, working parents of children aged 9 months and above can claim up to 30 hours free childcare each week in term time.
At the same time, the government is preparing to launch Best Start family hubs across England, with a full rollout planned for 2026.
This article explains what these changes mean for schools, nurseries, and clubs. It shows how the 30 hours free childcare scheme works, what the Best Start hubs will do, and how providers can prepare for rising demand and new expectations.
So, how does 30 hours free childcare work alongside Best Start hubs, and how can schools and clubs prepare?
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How does 30 hours free childcare work in 2025?
Until September 2024, working parents could only claim 15 hours of free childcare for children aged 2 years old. From September 2024, this offer expanded to cover children aged 9 months to 2 years.
From September 2025, the entitlement expands again. Eligible working parents can now access up to 30 hours of free childcare each week for children aged 9 months up to the term before they start school. This is a major increase from the previous 15 hours, and it could save families as much as £7,500 per year.
The hours are funded for 38 weeks per year (term time), but many childcare providers let parents spread these hours across more weeks to support year-round care.
- Hours: Up to 30 free hours per week during term time (1,140 hours per year).
- Eligibility: Parents must be working and earning the equivalent of at least 16 hours a week at minimum wage, but under £100k annually.
- Application process: Parents apply via the Gov.uk childcare service.
- Codes: Families receive a 30 hours free childcare code that providers must validate.
This change is creating pressure across the sector. A June 2025 Ofsted briefing warned of “acute capacity shortages in some regions.”
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Who is eligible for 30 hours free childcare?
Eligibility questions dominate parent searches:
- Children aged 9 months–5 years (before they reach school age and start reception).
- Both parents (or the sole parent in a single-parent family) must be in work.
- Parents in training, on zero-hours contracts, or self-employed can qualify.
- Children with SEND may qualify for additional support through local authority funding.
Parents can use the government calculator to check eligibility and entitlement.
What is the Best Start programme and when will family hubs open?
The Best Start programme is a new national network of family hubs. By April 2026, every local authority will have one, with up to 1,000 hubs by 2028.
Hubs will provide:
- Access to childcare applications, including support with the best start grant and best start food card (in Scotland, see MyGov.scot Best Start Grant).
- Referrals to nurseries, schools, and wraparound clubs.
- Parenting, nutrition, and early learning support.
This is part of a wider government mission to give children the best start in life.
Also note that the Childcare Choices website is now the Best Start in Life parent hub.
Be hub-ready now - book a free MagicBooking demo and see how to capture and deal with growing demand from 30 hours free childcare.
What is the impact of free 30 hours childcare and Best Start hubs together?
The combined effect is dramatic:
1. Increased demand for childcare places- Parents of under-2s now qualify for 30 hours of funded childcare, adding thousands of new applications.
- Schools and nurseries must manage waiting lists.
- Holiday clubs, sports clubs, and dance clubs will see a surge in bookings when nurseries and schools are full.
- Providers not digitally connected risk losing visibility.
- Families will expect to book and pay online directly through hub referrals.
Increasing demand = A lot of admin.
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Increasing demand for wraparound care
Demand for wraparound care is rising sharply. Nearly 60% of primary schools in England already offer such childcare, but about 40% of those services don’t fit typical working hours, leaving many parents underserved GOV.UK.
As the government rolls out the National Wraparound Childcare Programme, with funding to help extend care from 8 am to 6 pm during term time, schools and clubs must act fast to meet increasing demand.
Stay ahead of Best Start hubs - discover in a free demo how MagicBooking keeps your school or club connected and compliant.
How should wraparound and kids club providers prepare now?
Schools, MATs, and clubs should act quickly.
1. Digitise your systems- Enable parents to apply for places, join waiting lists, and use childcare codes online.
- Open and close sessions automatically when places fill.
- Offer secure online, open banking & card payments and receipts.
- Ensure you system accepts Tax Free Childcare (TFC) payments (MagicBooking has an automated HMRC TFC feature which automates the process from end-to-end).
- The EYFS 2025 changes mean new safeguarding and paediatric first aid requirements.
- Keep training logs and staff ratios audit-ready (MagicBooking offers automated reports and registers).
- Use a system like MagicBooking, which is Ofsted, safeguarding, and GDPR compliant.
- Read up on safeguarding changes, like KCSIE changes, EYFS updates, and NSPCC safeguarding guidance
- Contact your local authority to ensure your setting is included.
- Ask how referral and booking integration will work.
- Provide FAQs: How do I apply for 30 free hours childcare? Who qualifies for 30 free hours childcare? When to apply for 30 hours free childcare?
- Share updates with parents quickly via mass emails, SMS, or automated in-app notifications (all comms features offered by MagicBooking’s system).
MagicBooking supports with each point and more. Stop making life complicated and use MagicBooking – Book your free demo.
Why digital readiness is the competitive advantage
Parents will use hubs and search engines to find providers. If your school, holiday club, or nursery can’t be booked quickly online, families will choose others.
Platforms like MagicBooking help providers:
- Process 30 free hours childcare codes.
- Offer seamless booking for wraparound and holiday clubs.
- Reduce admin and ensure Ofsted compliance.
- Stay visible when Best Start hubs launch.
9 out of 10 providers rate MagicBooking easy to use - book a free demo and simplify bookings, payments, and registers.
Ofsted likely to visit soon? Read our Ofsted handbook.
What should an activity club, wraparound club or school do to prepare for Best Start family hubs?
Best Start family hubs will soon be the main way parents find childcare and activities. They act as signposting services - checking eligibility for schemes like 30 hours free childcare and referring families to local nurseries, schools, and clubs.
But they will not manage bookings, payments, registers, or staff planning.
To be ready, providers should:
- Register early with their local authority hub.
- Make their service easy to book online, with instant payments and clear availability.
- Keep safeguarding and compliance records inspection-ready for Ofsted.
- Plan capacity in advance, as hubs will increase enquiries and referrals.
With MagicBooking, this is all covered in one system. It handles bookings, payments, registers, safeguarding, and compliance - so when parents discover you through Best Start hubs, they can move straight into your system to book and pay online.
This makes your organisation both hub-ready and parent-friendly, giving you a clear advantage over providers still relying on clunky systems, or even worse, paper or phone bookings.
Turn referrals into bookings instantly - learn how MagicBooking can be your seamless link to Best Start hubs in your free demo.
Seizing the opportunity in 2025 with MagicBooking
The government’s childcare reforms are clear: more funded hours and a central hub system to give children the best start in life. For providers, this means higher demand, tighter compliance, and stronger competition.
By digitising now, engaging with Best Start hubs, and preparing for eligibility checks, schools and clubs can turn policy change into growth.
Grow capacity with confidence - book your free MagicBooking demo and see how to manage the impending demand without stress.
“Absolutely recommend [MagicBooking]. It’s user-friendly, efficient, and supports growth.” - Tony Charles, Owner, Shine Clubs
Next step: Book a free demo of MagicBooking and discover how we support wraparound and kids club providers to manage the increasing demand caused by 30 hours free childcare and prepare for Best Start hubs.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How does 30 hours free childcare affect wraparound and holiday clubs?
The 30 hours free childcare scheme increases demand for places in nurseries and schools. When those places fill up, parents often look to wraparound care, sports clubs, dance schools, and holiday clubs as alternatives.
This creates new opportunities for providers to expand sessions, add flexible hours, and attract more families.
2. Do activity and sports clubs need to accept 30 free hours childcare codes?
Most activity and sports clubs are not required to accept the childcare codes directly. However, you may still see higher demand from families who use their hours of funded childcare and then look for extra sessions before school, after school, or in holidays.
Clubs that use a digital booking system like MagicBooking can capture this demand and manage it efficiently.
3. What is the best start grant early learning payment?
The Best Start Early Learning Payment is a one-off payment in Scotland to help with the costs of early years education, such as toys, books, or travel. The Best Start Grant Scotland is part of the wider Best Start Grant package in Scotland, which supports families with young children.
4. What is best start food and how do I check my balance?
The Best Start Food scheme gives prepaid cards to eligible families in Scotland to help buy healthy food. Parents can check their Best Start card balance online or by phone to see how much support is left to spend.
5. How do I apply 30 hours free childcare 2025?
Parents apply through the Gov.uk childcare service. You will need to confirm work and income details to get a code. This code must be given to your provider before you can use the hours.
To understand childcare 30 hours free and how it works:
- How can I get 30 hours free childcare September 2025 and beyond? You must meet income rules and be in work.
- How to get 30 hours free childcare? Apply online, renew each term, and keep your details updated.
- Use the 30 hours free childcare eligibility calculator on Gov.uk to check your eligibility for free 30 hours childcare.
- When can I apply for 30 hours free childcare? Apply the term before your child is eligible.
- Who is entitled to 30 hours free childcare? Working parents with children aged 9 months to 4 years (you can start your application before your child turns 9 months).
- When does 30 hours of free childcare start? The expanded 30 hours of government-funded childcare for eligible working parents began on September 1st, 2025.
6. What is the 30 free hours childcare Wales scheme?
The 30 hours free childcare Wales scheme helps working parents of 3 and 4 year olds (Childcare Offer for Wales). It covers up to 30 hours a week of early education and childcare during term time.
To understand how does the 30 free hours childcare work in practice:
- Families may combine free education with wraparound care.
- Some areas allow support for 30 hours free childcare for 2 year olds e.g. the Flying start scheme doesn’t offer free childcare for 2 year olds 30 hours, but it does for 12.5 hours.
- In England, from September 2025, funding extends down to children from 9 months old.
- Parents often ask, when does free 30 hours childcare start? It starts the term after your child becomes eligible and you have a valid code.
