# Wraparound & Holiday Childcare UK — Funding & Eligibility | Clever Mum > A practical guide to UK before/after-school and holiday childcare — Tax-Free Childcare, wraparound childcare, and the Holiday Activities and Food scheme. * [ Home ](/) * › [ Family ](/family/) * › Wraparound & Holiday Childcare in the UK: What's Available and What It Costs Family # Wraparound & Holiday Childcare in the UK: What's Available and What It Costs [ CM ](/authors/editorial-team/) By [ Clever Mum Editorial ](/authors/editorial-team/) · Editorial standards Published 11 July 2026 Quick answer — What is Tax-Free Childcare and who is eligible? Three separate UK schemes cover school-age childcare gaps: Tax-Free Childcare (government tops up £2 for every £8 you pay, up to £500 per child every 3 months, until 1 September after their 11th birthday), the national wraparound childcare programme (funding schools and providers to offer 8am-6pm term-time care), and the means-tested Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme for school holidays. Who should skip this Skip this if your child is not yet in school. Skip it if you only need the 15/30 hours calculator. 3 minute read · Sources linked below On this page — jump to a section ## Choose a section * [ 1 How does Tax-Free Childcare work? ](#how-does-tax-free-childcare-work) * [ 2 How does wraparound childcare work? ](#how-does-wraparound-childcare-work) * [ 3 What is the Holiday Activities and Food programme? ](#what-is-the-holiday-activities-and-food-programme) * [ 4 Which wraparound or holiday scheme applies to you? ](#which-wraparound-or-holiday-scheme-applies-to-you) School-age childcare has more moving parts than most parents expect — three genuinely separate schemes cover different gaps, with different eligibility rules. Here's how each actually works. ## How does Tax-Free Childcare work? A government top-up scheme: for every £8 you pay into a childcare account, the government adds £2, up to a maximum of £500 per child every 3 months (£2,000 a year) — or £1,000 every 3 months (£4,000 a year) for disabled children. * **Eligibility**: generally, both parents (or the sole parent) need to be working, each earning at least the equivalent of 16 hours a week at National Minimum/Living Wage, and each earning under £100,000 a year individually * **Age limit**: your child is eligible up to 1 September after their 11th birthday (up to 1 September after their 16th birthday if they're disabled) * You reconfirm eligibility every 3 months through your childcare account ## How does wraparound childcare work? A separate, genuinely current government initiative funding schools and childcare providers to offer before- and after-school care during term time, broadly aiming for 8am-6pm coverage for primary-age children. It began rolling out from September 2024, backed by up to £289 million in start-up grant funding to help schools and providers establish or expand provision. * There's no means-testing to access a place — providers set their own fees, which parents pay directly (Tax-Free Childcare or the Universal Credit childcare element can be used to help cover the cost) * Availability depends on what your specific school or local providers have set up — ask your school directly what wraparound provision they offer or plan to offer ## What is the Holiday Activities and Food programme? Free holiday club places combining healthy food (at least one meal a day) with activities, running across the Easter, summer and Christmas holidays. * **Eligibility is means-tested** — primarily children in Reception to Year 11 who receive benefits-related Free School Meals. This is different from universal infant free school meals (automatically given to Reception-Year 2 regardless of income) — receiving those does not automatically qualify a child for HAF * Local councils can extend some places (up to 15% of their funding) to other children facing hardship at their discretion, even without formal Free School Meal status — worth asking your local authority if your circumstances have changed recently * Delivered and funded through your local council, so exact provision and how to apply varies by area — check your council's website for current holiday dates and how to book ## Which wraparound or holiday scheme applies to you? Most families end up using a combination: Tax-Free Childcare to offset the ongoing cost of any childcare (wraparound or otherwise), wraparound childcare itself for the daily before/after-school gap, and HAF (if you're eligible) specifically during school holidays. And for the DIY days between playscheme weeks, free museums remain the best-value outing in Britain — warm, educational and endlessly renewable. [WorldMuseumGuide](https://worldmuseumguide.org/) helps find the family-friendly options near you, and our [museum survival guide](/family/taking-babies-and-children-to-museums/) makes the visits actually work. ## What questions come up most? What is Tax-Free Childcare and who is eligible? A government top-up scheme where you get £2 for every £8 you pay into a childcare account, up to £500 per child every 3 months. Generally both parents need to be working, each earning at least the equivalent of 16 hours/week at minimum wage and under £100,000/year individually, and your child is eligible up to 1 September after their 11th birthday. What is wraparound childcare? A government-funded initiative encouraging schools and childcare providers to offer before- and after-school care during term time, broadly aiming for 8am-6pm coverage for primary-age children. There's no means-testing to access a place, but providers set their own fees — ask your school what they offer. Who is eligible for free holiday clubs through the HAF programme? The Holiday Activities and Food programme is primarily for children in Reception to Year 11 who receive benefits-related Free School Meals — this is different from universal infant free school meals, which don't automatically qualify a child. Some local councils extend a small number of places to other children facing hardship, so it's worth asking your council directly. ## Sources & further reading * [ Tax-Free Childcare ](https://www.gov.uk/tax-free-childcare) — GOV.UK * [ Wraparound childcare guidance for schools ](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/wraparound-childcare-guidance-for-schools) — GOV.UK / Department for Education * [ Holiday Activities and Food programme ](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/holiday-activities-and-food-programme/holiday-activities-and-food-programme-2026-to-2027) — GOV.UK / Department for Education ## On this page * [ 1 How does Tax-Free Childcare work? ](#how-does-tax-free-childcare-work) * [ 2 How does wraparound childcare work? ](#how-does-wraparound-childcare-work) * [ 3 What is the Holiday Activities and Food programme? ](#what-is-the-holiday-activities-and-food-programme) * [ 4 Which wraparound or holiday scheme applies to you? ](#which-wraparound-or-holiday-scheme-applies-to-you) ## At a glance Tax-Free Childcare top-up £2 for every £8, up to £500/3mo Tax-Free Childcare age limit Up to 1 Sept after 11th birthday Wraparound care Term-time, 8am-6pm ambition HAF eligibility Means-tested (benefits-related FSM) Our promise Health-adjacent points cite NHS or equivalent guidance. 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