Early Years and Childcare Service

The Early Years and Childcare Service has responsibility for ensuring that high quality early years, childcare and children centre provision is available and accessible to all families with young children. For more information on the services provided please access our website pages below:

What's new?

Funding guidance for qualifications

Are you undertaking a full time Foundation Degree or planning to start this September? If so you may be eligible for a Maintenance Grant through Student Finance England. For more information see the Foundation Degree Guidance.

Childcare Business Grants Scheme

The Childcare Business Grants Scheme has been announced by the Department for Culture Media & Sports. The scheme is intended to help towards some of the start up costs faced by any childcare business looking to get up and running such as training, Ofsted registration and insurance.

Please visit the Childcare Business Grants Scheme website for further information and application.

Portage Awareness Day - 17 June 2013

Do you want to find out about Portage and the work the team does? The awareness day is aimed at practitioners working with children under the age of five who have additional needs. For more information, and to book your place please see Portage Awareness Day Flyer image - PDF icon (611KB - pdf help). Please book your place by 10 June 2013.

Improving enforcement in childcare

The Department for Business, Innovation & Skills is currently consulting on Improving enforcement in childcare. In this review, they are asking anyone involved in childcare to let them know their views and experiences on how current enforcement of regulation in the childcare sector is working.