Nearly three-quarters of the most disadvantaged two-year-olds are receiving 15 hours of free childcare after a nationwide push, government figures suggest.
Rates increased from just 58 per cent of eligible children in June last year to 72 per cent in September, according to the Department for Education.
The hike means take-up of the entitlement is on track to meet the target of 73-77 per cent. An estimated 182,000 nursery places are currently being funded.
Around 250,000 children are currently entitled to the 15 hours, representing around 40 per cent of two-year-olds in England.
The number of eligible children has dropped from 260,000 in 2012, which James Hempsall, national support director of the DfE-funded Achieving Two Year Olds programme, said was due to fluctuations in family circumstances.
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