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Ministry of Defence gov.uk

Guidance: Guidance for Service personnel and their families on child welfare policies

Imported from official source

  • England: 15 hours for all children aged 3 and 4; 30 hours for children aged 9 months to school starting age with eligible working parents for 38 weeks per year (during term time).
  • Scotland: 1,140 hours for children aged 3 years to school starting age for 38 weeks per year (during term time).
  • Wales: a minimum of 10 hours per week of nursery education for all children aged 3 to 4 years; up to an additional 20 hours per week of funded childcare for eligible parents of 3 to 4-year-old children during term-time, rising to 30 hours of funded childcare for up to 9 weeks during school holidays.
  • Northern Ireland: 12.5 hours per week of free pre-school education for 3 to 4-year-old children for 38 weeks per year (during term time).

    • In Defence Children Services (DCS)-provided schools or settings, 15 and 30 hours’ funded childcare can be accessed free of charge.

    In non-DCS schools or settings, parents can claim a refund via the Overseas Nursery Authority (ONA). To apply, search for the DIN: ‘Funded childcare entitlements and processes for overseas Service personnel and UK Based Civil Servants (UKBCs) with accompanying pre-school aged children’ on defnet or Defence Connect (accessible by MOD personnel only).

  • Before accepting an overseas assignment, we encourage all parents to contact the Overseas Education and Supportability team at [email protected] for advice and guidance.
  • If moving within the UK, check what the local offer is prior to moving to avoid missing out on free hours.
  • Engage with early years childcare providers early.

    • Every parent with children aged 3 and 4 years is eligible for the universal free childcare entitlement from the term following their child’s third birthday.

    For full details, please read the DIN: ‘Funded childcare entitlements and processes for overseas Service personnel and UK Based Civil Servants (UKBCs) with accompanying pre-school aged children’ on defnet or Defence Connect (accessible by MOD personnel only).

    This is an extract. The publication continues at the source.

    Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Licence

    Read the original at the source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-for-service-personnel-and-their-families-on-child-welfare-policies

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    Ministry of Defence — imported from official source
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    https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-defence.atom ATOM
    Imported
    October 20, 2026 10:01
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    1 recorded
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    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-for-service-personnel-and-their-fam...

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