The new guidance, published yesterday, will take effect in September. As a result, free childcare provision for three- and four-year-olds will increase from 12.5 to 15 hours a week.
Parents will have more choice on when they can use the hours across the week, as providers must offer at least three five-hour sessions or five three-hour sessions per week.
Local authorities must also prioritise the highest quality settings to deliver the free childcare, and create quality-assured networks for registered childminders. This will ensure that parents have a choice of high-quality provision to suit their needs.
Parents currently have access to 38 weeks of free childcare during term-time each year. But the guidance states that from September 2012 they will be allowed to "stretch" the hours across more weeks. This will help parents balance childcare with employment or training, and will enable them to budget consistently across the year.
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