Free childcare in Barking and Dagenham
Council links and deadlines for funded hours in Barking and Dagenham, checked against the council’s own website.
- Working parents (from 9 months)
- Apply on GOV.UK for an 11-digit code and give it to your provider; re-confirm every 3 months. Apply on GOV.UK
- 2-year-olds with extra support
- Apply through the council. This link goes to the council's application. Apply
- All 3 and 4-year-olds (15 hours)
- No application to the council: speak to your chosen provider.
Deadlines for working-parent codes
| Spring term (starts 1 January) | Code by 31 December |
|---|---|
| Summer term (starts 1 April) | Code by 31 March |
| Autumn term (starts 1 September) | Code by 31 August |
Family Information Service
Council page also lists recommended windows to apply for a working-parent code: 15 October to 30 November (January start), 15 January to 28 February (April start), 15 June to 31 July (September start). The council's two-year-old page describes taking the hours as up to 15 a week over 38 weeks, or up to 11 a week over 51 weeks, depending on provider vacancies, and says the funded place can be used with a provider rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted.
Checked against the council website on 22 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How do I apply for free childcare in Barking and Dagenham?
Funded hours for working parents are applied for through the government’s Childcare Service, which gives you a code to take to your provider. The universal 15 hours for 3 and 4-year-olds needs no code: ask your provider. Your provider then claims the funding from Barking and Dagenham council. Barking and Dagenham council explains its own process on its website.
Which settings in Barking and Dagenham offer funded places?
Many of the 117 settings we list in Barking and Dagenham offer funded hours, but not all, and some limit the number of funded places. Ask each setting directly.