# The Childcare (Free of Charge for Working Parents) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025

S.I. 2025/1287 · made 9 December 2025 · revised to 31 December 2025

These Regulations, which come into force on 31st December 2025, amend the Childcare (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Inspection Outcomes) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/1261) (the “principal Regulations”) to correct a drafting error in regulation 5(4) of those Regulations before they come into force on 1st January 2026.

Made under: Childcare Act 2016 (Section 2, Section 4)

PDFs: Printed copy https://openlegislation.uk/childcare-free-of-charge-for-working-parents-england-amendment-regulations-2025/pdf/uksi_20251287_en.pdf; UK Explanatory Memorandum https://openlegislation.uk/childcare-free-of-charge-for-working-parents-england-amendment-regulations-2025/pdf/uksiem_20251287_en_001.pdf

## Introductory text

This Statutory Instrument has been made in consequence of a defect in S.I. 2025/1261 and is being issued free of charge to all known recipients of that Statutory Instrument.
CHILDCARE, ENGLAND
LOCAL AUTHORITIES, ENGLAND
Made 9th December 2025
Laid before Parliament 10th December 2025
Coming into force 31st December 2025
The Secretary of State makes these Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 2(1) and (2)(b) and 4(2)(c) of the Childcare Act 2016.

## 1 Citation, commencement and extent

These Regulations—
(a) may be cited as the Childcare (Free of Charge for Working Parents) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025,
(b) come into force on 31st December 2025, and
(c) extend to England and Wales.

## 2 Amendment of the Childcare (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Inspection Outcomes) (England) Regulations 2025

(1) The Childcare (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Inspection Outcomes) (England) Regulations 2025 are amended in accordance with paragraph (2).
(2) In regulation 5 (amendment of the Childcare (Free of Charge for Working Parents) (England) Regulations 2022), for paragraph (4) substitute—
“(4) In regulation 44 (duty to secure childcare available free of charge), in paragraph (3), omit sub-paragraphs (a) and (b) and the em dash which precedes them.”.

## Signature

Olivia Bailey
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Early Education)
Department for Education
9th December 2025

## Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations, which come into force on 31st December 2025, amend the Childcare (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Inspection Outcomes) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/1261) (the “principal Regulations”) to correct a drafting error in regulation 5(4) of those Regulations before they come into force on 1st January 2026.
These Regulations are being issued free of charge to all known recipients of the principal Regulations.
Regulation 5(4) of the principal Regulations amends regulation 44 of the Childcare (Free of Charge for Working Parents) (England) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/1134) (the “2022 Regulations”). Regulation 5(4) is amended by this instrument so that, instead of omitting the whole of paragraph (3) of regulation 44 of the 2022 Regulations, that paragraph is amended to omit redundant transitional provision in sub-paragraphs (a) and (b).
A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2025/1287 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/childcare-free-of-charge-for-working-parents-england-amendment-regulations-2025
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.