Open Call: Childcare Support Fund Second Application Window (United Kingdom)

The Childcare Support Fund provides short-term, flexible childcare assistance to low-income families in the UK who are experiencing financial pressure from childcare costs. With £15 million available for 2026/27, the fund aims to help families manage periods of disruption or transition while supporting access to work, education and training.

About the Childcare Support Fund

The Childcare Support Fund is designed to help families facing financial hardship access affordable childcare when they need additional short-term support.

The fund forms part of the Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan and contributes to wider efforts to:

• Increase household and earned incomes.
• Reduce the cost-of-living pressures facing families.
• Improve access to affordable childcare.
• Help parents access employment, education or training.
• Support children’s wellbeing and development.
• Assist families experiencing changes or disruptions to existing childcare arrangements.

Rather than providing unrestricted financial assistance, the fund is intended to support short-term, flexible childcare through registered childcare providers.

Funding Available

A total of £15 million is available through the Childcare Support Fund for the 2026/27 financial year.

The funding is being distributed to eligible applicants during the second application window.

Support is intended to meet childcare needs arising at important or challenging points in a family’s circumstances. The specific amount available to an individual family may depend on its circumstances and the childcare support required.

What the Funding Can Support

The Childcare Support Fund is intended to help families access registered childcare for a limited period when existing arrangements are insufficient or have become difficult to maintain.

Examples of circumstances that may qualify include:

• A sudden disruption to existing childcare arrangements.
• Changes in family circumstances.
• Changes in employment or working patterns.
• Temporary financial difficulties affecting the ability to pay childcare costs.
• Childcare required to access education or training.
• Situations where flexible childcare is needed during a period of transition.
• Other circumstances creating a short-term childcare need for a low-income family.

The central purpose is to remove childcare-related barriers that could prevent parents or carers from working, studying, undertaking training or managing significant changes in their circumstances.

Who Is Eligible?

The fund is aimed at low-income families living in the United Kingdom who are experiencing financial pressure because of childcare costs.

Priority may be given to families identified within the Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan as priority family groups.

Applicants should generally be able to demonstrate:

• That they are a low-income family.
• That they live in the UK.
• That childcare costs are creating financial pressure.
• That they have a short-term or flexible childcare requirement.
• That the requested support relates to childcare through a registered provider.
• That the childcare need is connected to circumstances such as employment, education, training, family changes or disruption to existing arrangements.

Eligibility and assessment requirements should be checked carefully when submitting an application because meeting the broad criteria does not necessarily guarantee funding.

Priority Families and Tackling Child Poverty

The Childcare Support Fund is connected to the UK’s wider child poverty reduction agenda.

Affordable childcare can be particularly important for families who face barriers to employment or have limited disposable income. Childcare costs can make it difficult for parents and carers to take up work, increase working hours, study or undertake training.

By providing targeted short-term childcare support, the fund aims to help families overcome these barriers and improve their ability to participate in employment and education.

Why the Childcare Support Fund Matters

Childcare expenses can represent a significant cost for families, particularly those on low incomes or experiencing sudden changes in their circumstances.

Flexible support can help families maintain stability when their usual childcare arrangements are unavailable or unaffordable.

The fund can potentially contribute to:

• Employment: Helping parents remain in or return to work.
• Education: Making it easier for parents to participate in courses and learning.
• Training: Supporting access to skills development and employment-related training.
• Family stability: Providing temporary assistance during periods of change.
• Child wellbeing: Maintaining access to appropriate registered childcare.
• Poverty reduction: Helping reduce the financial impact of childcare expenses.

How the Childcare Support Fund Works

The programme focuses on short-term and flexible childcare support, rather than general household financial assistance.

A typical application process involves:

1. Identify your childcare need
   Determine why you require additional childcare and whether the need is temporary or connected to a period of transition.
2. Check your financial circumstances
   Confirm that your household meets the relevant low-income criteria and that childcare costs are causing financial pressure.
3. Confirm your childcare provider
   The childcare must be delivered through an appropriate registered childcare provider.
4. Explain your circumstances
   Clearly describe the reason for the childcare requirement, such as changes in employment, education, training, family circumstances or disruption to existing arrangements.
5. Submit the application
   Provide the required information and supporting evidence through the relevant application process.
6. Await assessment
   Applications are assessed against the fund’s eligibility and priority criteria and the available funding.

What Applicants Should Prepare

Families applying for childcare support should be prepared to provide information demonstrating their circumstances.

Depending on the application requirements, this may include:

• Household and income information.
• Details of childcare costs.
• Information about the registered childcare provider.
• Evidence of employment or changes to working arrangements.
• Details of education or training commitments.
• Information explaining disruption to existing childcare arrangements.
• Other evidence demonstrating financial pressure or family circumstances.

Applicants should ensure that information is accurate and that supporting documents are complete before submitting the application.

Important Points to Remember

The Childcare Support Fund is specifically designed for short-term, flexible childcare needs.

Applicants should therefore clearly explain:

• Why childcare support is needed now.
• Why existing childcare arrangements are insufficient.
• How childcare costs are affecting the household.
• How the support will help the parent or carer work, study, train or manage a period of transition.
• Why the requested childcare arrangement is appropriate for the family’s circumstances.

The fund should not be treated as general-purpose financial assistance because its primary purpose is to address childcare-related barriers.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Applicants can strengthen their applications by avoiding common problems such as:

• Not explaining the childcare need clearly: Simply stating that childcare is expensive may not adequately demonstrate the circumstances requiring support.
• Providing incomplete financial information: Make sure relevant income and childcare-cost information is accurate.
• Failing to explain the short-term nature of the request: Clearly describe the period and circumstances for which support is required.
• Using an unsuitable childcare provider: Check that the provider meets the programme’s registration requirements.
• Leaving out supporting evidence: Provide documents requested as part of the application.
• Applying without checking the eligibility criteria: Priority groups and other eligibility requirements may affect whether an application can be supported.

Application Tips

To make an application clear and easy to assess:

• Explain your circumstances in simple, factual language.
• State the childcare problem and how it affects your family.
• Provide accurate household and income information.
• Explain whether the childcare is linked to work, education or training.
• Give details of the registered childcare provider.
• Submit all required evidence before the deadline.
• Keep copies of your application and supporting documents.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Childcare Support Fund?

The Childcare Support Fund is a UK programme providing short-term, flexible childcare support to eligible low-income families experiencing financial pressure from childcare costs.

How much funding is available through the fund?

The Childcare Support Fund has a total allocation of £15 million for the 2026/27 year. The amount available to an individual family depends on the applicable funding and assessment arrangements.

Who can apply for the Childcare Support Fund?

The fund is intended for low-income families living in the UK who are experiencing financial pressure because of childcare costs. Priority may be given to family groups identified in the Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan.

What type of childcare does the fund support?

The programme supports short-term, flexible childcare delivered through registered childcare providers. It is intended to respond to temporary needs and periods of transition or disruption.

Can childcare support be used to access education or training?

Yes. Supporting access to education and training is one of the circumstances the fund is designed to address, particularly where childcare costs create a barrier to participation.

Can the fund help when existing childcare arrangements suddenly change?

Yes. The programme specifically recognises situations involving disruption to existing childcare arrangements or changes in family or work circumstances.

Is the Childcare Support Fund general financial assistance?

No. The fund is targeted specifically at childcare-related needs. Applicants should demonstrate how childcare costs are creating financial pressure and why short-term flexible childcare support is required.

Conclusion

The Childcare Support Fund 2026/27 provides targeted assistance to low-income UK families facing short-term childcare challenges. With £15 million available, the programme can help families overcome childcare barriers associated with employment, education, training and changing family circumstances. Eligible families should carefully explain their financial situation, childcare requirements and the circumstances creating the need for support when applying.