Who can get free nursery places or childcare
Nursery or childcare for three and four-year olds, two year olds and children aged up to two years old who gets priority for places.
Nursery or childcare for three and four-year olds
All children aged three and four can get free nursery places or childcare funded by the Scottish Government.
How much free nursery or childcare hours you can get
When your child starts depends on when their third birthday is during the year.
If their third birthday is in | They can start in |
---|---|
March, April, May, June, July or August 2022 | August 2022 |
September 2022 | October 2022 |
October 2022 | November 2022 |
November 2022 | December 2022 |
December 2022 | January 2023 |
January 2023 | February 2023 |
February 2023 | March 2023 |
Apply for a free nursery or childcare place
Nursery or childcare for two-year olds
Two-year old children can get free nursery places or childcare if:
- they are looked after
- under a kinship care order
- with a parent appointed guardian at any time since their second birthday
- they are the child of a parent who is or has been previously looked after, in foster care or in kinship care
- their household gets a qualifying benefit.
You can find out who can get funded nursery or childcare places for two year olds on the Scottish Government website.
How much free nursery or childcare hours you can get
If your child is eligible for a free nursery place or childcare, they can start nursery or childcare at the beginning of one of the school terms.
Which term your child will start depends on when their birthday is during the year.
If their birthday is between | They can start in |
---|---|
1 March and 31 August 2022 | August 2022 |
1 September and 31 December 2022 | January 2023 |
1 January and last day February 2023 | March or April 2023 |
Apply for a free nursery or childcare place
Nursery or childcare for children aged 0 to 2 years
There are some nursery places or childcare available for children aged 0 to 2 years, however, they are not entitled to free early learning and childcare hours.
These placements are limited and prioritised for children who meet certain criteria, as outlined in our
. You should speak to your local nursery to find out if a place is available.