Strategic C-sections and a birthday lottery: The hidden cost of free childcare hours

Thirty hours of free childcare sounds great in theory, but the government's "impenetrable" and arbitrary support plan has been a burden to countless families.

Support doesn’t begin until the nursery term after a child reaches the eligible age. Pic: Unsplash

Starting this month – September 2025 – working parents who earn between £9,518 and up to 100,000 annually are now eligible for 30 hours of government funded childcare once a child turns nine months old. The support is an expansion of the April 2024 scheme t…