• Check funded-hours eligibility

  Task · Due 4 months before your nursery / childcare start date

  In England, working parents (each earning roughly ≥16 hours a week at minimum wage, neither over £100k adjusted net income) can get up to 30 funded hours from 9 months. Check the current eligibility rules before you apply.

  Check you're eligible for free childcare if working (GOV.UK)

• Apply for your funded-hours code

  Task · Due 3 months before your nursery / childcare start date

  Apply in the window before term starts — your code must be valid by the deadline (roughly: apply by the end of the month before the term begins). Check the current termly deadline on GOV.UK, as the exact wording changes.

  Free childcare if you're working (GOV.UK)

• Give your code to the nursery

  Task · Due 3 weeks before your nursery / childcare start date

  The nursery validates your code to draw down the funding — give it to them ahead of the start.

• Set up Tax-Free Childcare

  Task · Due 2 months before your nursery / childcare start date

  The government adds £2 for every £8 you pay in (up to £2,000 per child per year, £500 per quarter) toward the hours you pay for. Set up the account before fees start.

• Visit & choose a nursery

  Task · Due 5 months before your nursery / childcare start date

  Waiting lists are long — start early and visit a few before you decide.

• Settling-in sessions

  Event · Starts 2 weeks before your nursery / childcare start date

  Short taster visits before the first full day help your child settle.

• Label & pack nursery essentials

  Task · Due 1 week before your nursery / childcare start date

  Spare clothes, nappies, a comforter — all clearly labelled.

• First day at nursery

Also included

• Welcome to your Nursery setup

  Guidance

  The money bit is the bit people miss. In England: apply for your funded-hours code before term, set up Tax-Free Childcare, and reconfirm the code every 3 months (we've added a routine so you don't forget). Funded-hours rules differ by nation — these figures are for England. This note creates nothing.

• Reconfirm childcare code

  Routine

  Every 3 months — the easy-to-forget one that costs real money. Reconfirm your funded-hours code each quarter or you lose the funding.

• Nursery deposit / registration fee

  Cost · £100.00 · One-off · Payment 2 months before your nursery / childcare start date

  A one-off registration or deposit fee to secure the place. The £100 here is a placeholder estimate — set it to your nursery's actual fee.

• Nursery fees (top-up above funded hours)

  Subscription · £300.00/mo · Next delivery On your nursery / childcare start date

  Recurring monthly fees for any hours above your funded entitlement (plus meals/extras). The £300 here is a placeholder estimate — set it to your nursery's actual monthly charge.