30 hours and children in foster care

Find out how children in foster care can get 30 hours of free childcare.

Children in foster care are also able to receive 30 hours free childcare, if the following criteria are met:

  • That accessing the extended hours is consistent with the child’s care plan, placing the child at the centre of the process and decision making, and
  • That, in single parent foster families, the foster parent engages in paid work outside their role as a foster parent.
  • And in two parent foster families, both partners engage in paid work outside their role as a foster parent. If one partner is not a foster parent, then they must be in qualifying paid work and earn a minimum of the equivalent to 16 hours at national minimum/national living wage.