In February 2025, the Department for Education updated its guidance on how the early entitlement offers (sometimes referred to as the ‘free childcare’ offers) are delivered, including clarification on the rules around additional charges.

So what does the new guidance, which comes into effect on 1 April 2025, say?

Your provider can charge for additional extras like meals and snacks, nappies and trips, as long as these charges are voluntary and you are able to opt out if you choose to do so.

The update guidance states that providers can charge for the following extra in connection with the funded hours:

• consumables to be used by the child, such as nappies or sun cream
• meals and snacks consumed by the child
• extra optional activities such as events, celebrations, specialist tuition (for example music classes or foreign languages) or other activities that are not directly related or necessary for the effective delivery of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework

However, the guidance makes clear that these charges must be voluntary and parents must be able to opt out.

If you choose to opt out of additional extras or services, your provider should have a policy in place on what they can offer as an alternative, such as allowing you to supply your own consumables.

Your provider can also charge for any hours you choose to take up outside of the funded entitlement.
 

You can still make voluntary contributions if you wish to do so

The Department for Education has confirmed to the Alliance that if a parent wishes to make a voluntary contribution then they can do so, provided that it is wholly voluntary and they are not being charged for services or items like top up fees, materials (e.g. crafts, crayons and paper), business running costs, registration fees and non-refundable deposits as a condition of taking up an entitlements place, general charges
 

Your provider should a breakdown of any optional additional charges on their website, or the local authority Family Information Service website, by January 2026 (some childminders and smaller settings may be exempted from this requirement).

Under the new guidance, the costs of chargeable extras should be published on provider websites or, where they do not have any website, on local authority Family Information Services. These should set out the amounts charged for all the chargeable extras listed, as well as the pattern of hours that parents can take the entitlements, and be fully implemented by January 2026 at the latest.

However, local authorities have the option of exempting childminders and providers caring for 10 or fewer children at any one time from this requirement.
 

Your provider should provide a clear breakdown of fees and charges on their invoices by January 2026.

The updated guidance states that, by January 2026, provider invoices and receipts should be itemised, and broken down into the following separate categories:

• the free entitlement hours
• additional private paid hours
• food charges
• non-food consumables charges
• activities charges