A childcare code is used to show that a family qualifies for the funded childcare available to eligible working parents in England.
Parents receive the code through their government childcare account and give it to their chosen nursery, preschool or childminder. The provider then checks the code with the local authority before claiming funding for the child’s place.
The code does not contain money, pay a nursery invoice or reserve a place. It is evidence of eligibility.
Confusion often arises because families may also have a Tax-Free Childcare account, a payment reference or a local council reference for a two-year-old. These details serve different purposes and should not be used interchangeably.
This guide explains what a childcare code is, where to find it, what information to give the provider and how to keep the code valid.
What is the 11-digit childcare code?
The working-parent childcare code is an 11-digit code issued by HM Revenue and Customs after a successful application for Free Childcare for Working Parents.
It confirms that a particular parent and child meet the eligibility conditions at the time of approval.
The code is used for the working-parent entitlement available to eligible families with children aged from nine months until they start school. The entitlement provides up to 30 funded hours a week for 38 weeks of the year, although providers may offer the annual hours in a stretched pattern across more weeks.
Each child has their own code. If a family has two eligible children, it should expect a separate code for each one.
The government’s current early-years data guidance confirms that the code remains fixed for the same parent-and-child combination. Reconfirming eligibility keeps the existing code valid rather than usually producing an entirely new number. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="0"}
A typical childcare code is simply a sequence of 11 numbers. Parents should copy it carefully rather than relying on a screenshot that may be incomplete or difficult for the provider to read.
Who needs a childcare code?
You need the 11-digit code if you are using the funded childcare entitlement for eligible working parents.
You do not normally need this HMRC code to receive the universal 15 hours available to all three- and four-year-olds. Those hours are usually arranged directly with a participating provider.
You may also follow a different process if your two-year-old qualifies for 15 hours because your family receives additional support or because of the child’s circumstances. That entitlement is normally administered by the local council.
| Childcare entitlement | Usual application route | HMRC working-parent code needed? |
|---|---|---|
| Working-parent childcare from nine months | Government childcare account | Yes |
| Universal 15 hours for three- and four-year-olds | Directly with the provider or through the local process | No |
| Early Learning for eligible two-year-olds | Local council early-years team | Normally no |
If your two-year-old may qualify for both the additional-support offer and working-parent childcare, contact the council first. Government guidance advises eligible families to apply for Early Learning for two-year-olds before the working-parent entitlement. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="1"}
How do you get a childcare code?
Apply for Free Childcare for Working Parents through the government childcare service. You will create a childcare account as part of the application if you do not already have one.
The application may ask for:
- Your National Insurance number
- Your partner’s details, where applicable
- Your child’s details
- Your employment or self-employment information
- Your expected earnings
- Your expected return-to-work or new-job date
Many applicants receive a decision immediately. Where HMRC needs to carry out additional checks, the decision will usually take longer, and the parent may be asked for more evidence.
Once the application is approved, HMRC sends a text or email telling you that the code is available. You then sign in to your childcare account to view it.
HMRC states that parents usually receive a decision immediately or within ten days where additional checks are required, although some applications can take longer. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="2"}
Do not wait until the final application deadline if you can apply earlier. A delay in confirming income, employment or identity may affect when the funded place can begin.
Our step-by-step guide to applying for funded childcare explains the application routes and termly deadlines in more detail.
Where can you find your childcare code?
Sign in to your government childcare account using the details created during the application.
Select the relevant child and look for the funded childcare or working-parent section. The account should show the 11-digit code and information about reconfirming eligibility.
If you have more than one child, make sure you select the correct child. A sibling’s code cannot be used for another child.
Keep your account sign-in details secure. You can give the eligibility code to a provider, but you should not give the nursery your childcare-account password.
If you cannot sign in or find the code, use the account recovery options or contact the Childcare Service helpline. The nursery cannot normally access the parent’s account on their behalf.
What do you give to the childcare provider?
Once you have chosen a provider, give it:
- The 11-digit childcare code
- The National Insurance number of the parent connected with the code
- The child’s date of birth
These details allow the provider or local authority to confirm that the code belongs to the correct parent and child.
The nursery may ask you to complete a parental declaration as well. This records information such as the child’s details, the funded sessions being used and whether any hours are claimed through another provider.
Give the information through the provider’s requested secure process. Avoid posting a National Insurance number in an informal social media message or an unsecured group chat.
The government specifically instructs parents to give the provider the code, their National Insurance number and the child’s date of birth after approval. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="3"}
What does the nursery do with the code?
The provider submits the code for validation through its local authority process.
The check can show information such as:
- Whether the code is valid
- The child connected with it
- When eligibility begins
- Whether the parent remains within a reconfirmation or grace period
Once the nursery confirms both eligibility and availability, it can include the child in its funding claim.
The provider should also agree the actual attendance arrangement with the family. Validation does not mean the child can automatically use any 30 hours during the nursery’s opening week.
Ask for written confirmation of:
- The funded start date
- The days and sessions booked
- Whether the hours are term-time or stretched
- Any additional childcare charges
- Any optional charges for meals or consumables
The code confirms eligibility, while the written agreement explains how the entitlement will work at that particular setting.
Does a valid code guarantee a nursery place?
No. A childcare code and a childcare place are separate.
The code shows that the family qualifies for the working-parent entitlement. The provider must still have a suitable space for the child’s age, start date and required days.
A nursery may:
- Have no places in the relevant room
- Have availability on some weekdays but not others
- Limit the number of funded places it offers
- Offer funding only through particular sessions
- Require the family to join a waiting list
Start looking for childcare before the intended funding period begins. Tell providers your child’s date of birth, preferred start date, required days and approximate arrival and collection times.
Do not assume that obtaining a code means you can delay contacting nurseries until the deadline. Popular settings may fill places months in advance.
When can you start using the code?
Receiving a valid code does not always mean the funded hours can begin immediately.
Working-parent childcare normally starts from the funding period after the child reaches the qualifying age:
| Child reaches nine months | Funding can normally begin | Application deadline |
|---|---|---|
| 1 September–31 December | 1 January | 31 December |
| 1 January–31 March | 1 April | 31 March |
| 1 April–31 August | 1 September | 31 August |
The code also has to meet the timing rules for the intended funding period. A code obtained after the relevant deadline may not be accepted for that term, even if the family would otherwise qualify.
Parents returning from maternity, paternity, adoption or shared parental leave may have specific application windows based on their return-to-work date.
Confirm the exact start date with the nursery. The provider may follow local authority term dates or have its own date for beginning a stretched arrangement.
Why do you need to reconfirm the code?
Working-parent eligibility is not approved indefinitely. Parents must sign in to their childcare account every three months and confirm that their details remain correct.
You must reconfirm even if nothing has changed.
The process normally involves checking information about:
- Your employment
- Your expected earnings
- Your partner, where applicable
- Your household circumstances
- Your contact details
Your account shows the date by which reconfirmation must be completed. HMRC may send reminders, but the parent remains responsible for completing it.
If you apply more than three months before the childcare starts, you may need to reconfirm before the first funded session. Otherwise, the code could be outside its valid eligibility period when the provider checks it.
The government requires parents to reconfirm through the childcare account every three months to continue receiving working-parent childcare. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="4"}
Set your own calendar reminder rather than relying entirely on an email or text message.
What happens if you forget to reconfirm?
If you miss the reconfirmation deadline, the code may stop being eligible for future funded periods.
This does not always mean that the child loses the funded place immediately. A grace period may allow the hours to continue temporarily, depending on when eligibility ended and the local authority’s funding dates.
Take the following steps:
- Sign in to the childcare account immediately.
- Complete any available reconfirmation or application process.
- Contact the Childcare Service if the account does not allow you to proceed.
- Tell the nursery that there is a problem.
- Ask the nursery to check the code’s current status and grace-period date.
Do not assume that funding can be backdated after a missed deadline. Ask what costs would apply if the entitlement cannot continue.
The nursery contract and the funded entitlement are related but separate. If the child’s code becomes invalid, the contract may still require the parent to pay for the booked sessions or give notice before reducing attendance.
Can you use the code with two providers?
Families can sometimes split funded hours between two approved providers.
For example, a child might attend a preschool for several mornings and spend another day with a registered childminder.
Give the same childcare code to both providers and tell each one about the other arrangement. The local authority needs to ensure that the combined claims remain within the child’s entitlement.
Each provider may ask you to declare:
- The other setting’s name
- The days attended there
- The number of funded hours being claimed
- Which provider receives any particular part of the entitlement
Local authorities may have rules about splitting hours across a day, week or funding period. Confirm the arrangement before registering with both settings.
If the child moves permanently to another provider, inform both settings. Notice periods and funding transfer dates may prevent an immediate switch in the middle of a term.
Is a childcare code the same as Tax-Free Childcare?
No. The schemes can be managed through the same childcare account, which is why they are easily confused, but they work differently.
The working-parent childcare code:
- Has 11 digits
- Proves eligibility for funded childcare
- Is validated by the provider and local authority
- Does not transfer money
Tax-Free Childcare:
- Uses an online account for payments
- Allows eligible parents to deposit money and receive a government top-up
- Can help pay eligible costs remaining after funded hours
- Creates payment references so the provider can identify the child
When a parent pays through Tax-Free Childcare, the provider sees a unique child reference associated with the payment. This is different from the 11-digit eligibility code used to validate working-parent hours. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="5"}
Giving a nursery the working-parent code does not pay an invoice. Similarly, sending a Tax-Free Childcare payment does not confirm eligibility for funded hours.
What other childcare numbers might you see?
Several numbers can appear during the childcare process.
| Number or reference | What it is used for |
|---|---|
| 11-digit working-parent code | Confirms eligibility for funded childcare for working parents |
| Tax-Free Childcare child reference | Helps the provider match a payment to the correct child |
| Tax-Free Childcare account number | Used for account administration and certain refunds |
| Local council two-year-old reference | Shows approval for the additional-support entitlement where applicable |
| Nursery account or invoice number | Identifies the family within the provider’s own system |
If a provider asks for “your childcare code”, confirm which number it needs. Most nurseries mean the 11-digit working-parent eligibility code, but the context may be a Tax-Free Childcare payment.
Foster parents can follow a different application process. Where they qualify, the local authority may issue the childcare code rather than HMRC, although the provider validates it in a similar way.
Frequently asked questions
How many digits are in a working-parent childcare code?
The code contains 11 digits. It is available through the government childcare account after a successful application.
Does every child receive a childcare code?
No. The HMRC code is for children using the working-parent entitlement. The universal 15 hours for three- and four-year-olds do not normally require this code.
Can two parents apply for a code for the same child?
Only one parent can normally hold the working-parent code for a child. Separated parents with joint responsibility should agree who will apply. HMRC can decide if both apply and cannot agree.
Does the code change every three months?
The code normally remains fixed for the same parent and child. Reconfirmation renews the eligibility attached to it.
Can the nursery apply for the code for me?
No. The parent normally applies through the government childcare account. The nursery can explain its process and validate the code but should not ask for your account password.
Can I give the code to more than one nursery?
Yes, if you are splitting the funded entitlement between approved providers and the local arrangements allow it. Tell both providers so that the combined claim does not exceed the entitlement.
What if the nursery says the code is invalid?
Check that the number, parent’s National Insurance number and child’s date of birth were entered correctly. Then sign in to your account to check the reconfirmation status and validity dates. Contact the Childcare Service if the problem remains.
Can I use a code immediately after receiving it?
Not always. Funded childcare normally starts in January, April or September after the child reaches the qualifying age, and the code must meet the relevant application deadline.
Does the code cover food and nappies?
The code confirms eligibility for funded childcare hours. Providers may offer separately charged meals, consumables, additional hours and optional activities, subject to the funding rules.
Is the childcare code a voucher?
No. It has no cash value and cannot be withdrawn or used to pay an invoice. It allows the provider to verify eligibility and claim funding through the local authority.
Where should I store the code?
It remains available in your childcare account. You may also keep a secure personal record, but avoid posting it publicly or sharing your account password.
What if I lose the message containing the code?
Sign in to your childcare account to view it again. The message from HMRC is only a notification that the code is available.
A childcare code is simpler than it first appears. It is an 11-digit number that connects an eligible parent and child to the working-parent childcare entitlement.
Apply through the government childcare service, give the code and verification details to your provider, and confirm the agreed sessions separately. Then sign in every three months to keep the eligibility attached to the code active.
Most problems arise when families confuse eligibility with nursery availability, miss a reconfirmation date or provide a Tax-Free Childcare payment reference instead of the working-parent code. Knowing the purpose of each number makes the process much easier to manage.
