Education secretary Ruth Kelly revealed more details of the pilots on Tuesday as part of the ten-year childcare strategy implementation plan. Ms Kelly also confirmed that there are now more than 800 designated Sure Start children's centres.
Free childcare and nursery education will be offered to families in areas of disadvantage, determined locally, with the aim of reaching up to 12,000 children.
Most local authorities will offer a seven-and-a-half-hour a week place, with no more than two-and-a-half hours a day.
The aim is to increase the take-up of the free nursery education entitlement for three- and four-year-olds by involving families earlier and in areas where participation has been low.
Places will be delivered in private, voluntary and maintained settings, through children's centres, day nurseries, pre-schools and childminders.
The pilots will take place in Barnsley, Birmingham, Bradford, Cornwall, Doncaster, Durham, Haringey, Hull, Islington, Liverpool, Nottingham, Portsmouth, Sandwell, South Tyneside and Tower Hamlets.
In Hull, which has a high number of teenage mothers, the aim is to involve teenage parents in early years services. In Sandwell, which has high levels of deprivation, the model known locally as 'Free for 2' will be offered to all families, with the hope of reaching black and ethnic minority groups in particular and linking to services for vulnerable and at-risk children.
NDNAchief executive Purnima Tanuku said she was pleased that existing voluntary and private provision would be included in the pilot.
The DfES also revealed that it is setting up a new forum focusing on childcare chaired by Dame Julie Mellor, former chair of the Equal Opportunities Commission. It will act as a sounding board for the early years sector to give feedback to Government.
