Early Years Funding

Early Education & Funding

Free childcare is a national offer from the Department of Education (DfE) and is not funded by the Virtual School. Children’s Foster Carers and Social Workers are responsible for ensuring that children are registered for free early education and the Virtual School will provide advice and guidance.

 

For the universal funding, all children aged 2, 3 and 4 years who become looked after by Halton Children’s Services are eligible for up to 15hrs per week of free childcare. Funding for Early Years provision comes into effect the term after the child turns the appropriate age.

 

Children in foster care aged 3-4 years old may be eligible for 30 hours free childcare, and with the additional expansion of childcare funding, from September 2024, children in care aged from 9 months old, may also be eligible for 15 hours free childcare (the term after the child turns the appropriate age). Children in foster care will be eligible for free childcare, where the foster parents meet certain eligibility criteria, giving foster families the same support as other families, where it is right for the child (see flow chart below). Children in foster care will be able to receive the additional entitlements, if the following criteria is also met:

• Agreement from the responsible local authority that the foster parent engaging in paid work outside their role as a foster parent is consistent with the child’s care plan. The agreement that the foster parents can take up additional entitlements should be recorded and the care plan for the child should be updated as appropriate.
• That, in single parent foster families, the foster parent engages in paid work outside their role as a foster parent, although there is no minimum income requirement.
• In 2 parent foster families, either both partners engage in paid work outside their role as a foster parent (although there is no minimum income requirement for either foster parent) or one partner engages in paid work and the other partner receives certain qualifying benefits*.

*Eligible benefits (already in receipt of): Universal Credit (assessed as having limited capability for work); National Insurance credits because of incapacity or limited capability for work; Carer’s Allowance; Employment and Support Allowance; Incapacity Benefit; Severe Disablement Allowance. 

 

Reconfirmation:

Foster Carers, like all other parents accessing funded hours, are required to reconfirm their eligibility every three months. Foster Carers should follow the application process before the end of 3 months from the previous eligibility check to reconfirm their details. Failure to reconfirm could mean that a child in foster care is no longer eligible for funded hours childcare. 

 

Additional Information

• The DfE deadlines to access funding are 31^st March, 31^st August and 31^st December. Applications need to be submitted in advance of these date to ensure eligibility can be checked, and to enable the Early Years Officer to generate the code.
• If the application is not received within the timescales, a code would not be generated, funding would not be granted, and the Foster Carer may be liable for fees.
• Eligibility codes must be obtained the term before the child starts childcare. A child cannot start to claim funded hours in the same term that the eligibility code is issued.
• Childcare funding is not intended to cover the costs of meals, other consumables (such as nappies or sun cream), additional hours or additional activities (such as trips). Providers may charge a fee for these additions. This would be by arrangement with the provision and the Foster Carer.
• Childcare funding is a DfE scheme, not a Virtual School/Local Authority scheme.

Further information for parents can be found here: Childcare Choices

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