“Free childcare” sounds simple.

For most parents, it is not.

The help available in England can make a real difference, but it does not mean childcare suddenly becomes cost-free. That is where a lot of the frustration starts. Families hear “free hours” and assume the pressure will ease, only to find there are still plenty of costs sitting around the edges. Government guidance is clear that funded hours must be free to access, but that the funding is not intended to cover meals, consumables, additional hours or additional services. (GOV.UK)

That matters because the gap between what people expect and what they actually pay can be huge.

In England, eligible working parents can get up to 30 hours of funded childcare a week for 38 weeks of the year for children aged from 9 months to 4 years. That support has changed the numbers for some families, but it has not removed the financial pressure altogether. (GOV.UK)

Coram’s 2025 Childcare Survey found that a full-time nursery place for a child under two in England still cost an average of £238.95 a week. That is more than £12,000 a year. (Coram)

So what are parents still paying for?

Often, it is things like meals, nappies, wipes, trips, extra hours outside the funded window, holiday cover and any services the provider treats as additional. Even where the funded hours themselves are free, the overall bill can still feel significant, especially if you need childcare year-round rather than term-time only. (GOV.UK)

Then there is the practical side. The funded offer does not magically solve availability. Some parents still struggle to find the right place, the right hours, or a setting that works with their job. And if you have more than one child, the pressure multiplies fast.

This is why childcare is often the first point where families realise education costs start much earlier than school.

It is also why the phrase “free childcare” can be misleading. Helpful, yes. Free in the way most people would naturally understand it, not always.

The best way to approach it is to treat the funded hours as support, not as the full answer. Look at what your provider charges on top. Check whether the hours can be stretched across more weeks. Work out what happens during holidays. And try to budget for the real monthly picture, not just the headline offer.

Because once you see the actual number, you can plan around it properly.

If you are trying to understand how childcare fits into the bigger education picture, Sencillo’s whitepaper, The True Cost of Education 2026, looks at the full journey from early years onwards and helps families plan with more confidence.