Funding for childcare providers
Early Years Entitlement
- What is Early Years Entitlement (EYEF)?
- Provider registration, conditions and guidance
- Extended and Flexible Entitlement from Sept 2010
- Consultation with providers on changes to EYEF
- Frequently asked questions.
- Conflict busters
What is Early Years Entitlement (EYEF)?
The government provides funding for all three and four year old children, from the start of the term after their third birthday until they start school (usually at statutory school age – the term following their fifth birthday), to attend an Ofsted registered early years and childcare setting. Such settings include pre-schools, nurseries, certain childminders, school nursery classes and nursery schools. With effect from September 2010 certain Out of School Service Providers, such as After School Clubs, may also register to receive EYEF. Please contact our EYEF Enquiry Desk for details if you are interested in this
These children qualify for 15 hours of free Early Years Entitlement per week for up to 38 weeks per year, during school term time. The full 15 hours must be used over at least 3 days, a minimum of 2 ½ hours and maximum 10 hours per day and can be shared between a maximum of 2 providers.
The key focus of this funding is to help every child develop to their full potential, help parents return to work and allow them to make informed choices about their children’s care and their family life. It also supports research showing the ongoing benefit to children, in particular from the most disadvantaged parts of the country, of experiencing good quality childcare in their early years.
Provider registration, conditions and guidance
A provider wishing to register to receive Early Years Entitlement must:
- Be Ofsted registered, or inspected under the Independent Schools Inspectorate.
- Be open for a minimum of 33 weeks per year, during school term time.
- Allow their details to be listed in the Enhanced Childcare Directory.
- Sign the EYEF registration form.
Once registered, providers will need to re-register every year as terms and conditions are reviewed annually.
Full details of Devon’s conditions and guidance on how the funding operates can be found in “Terms, Conditions and Guidance for Childcare Providers September 2010” This should be read in conjunction with the Department for Educations “Code of Practice for Local Authorities on Delivery of Free Early Years Provision for 3 & 4 Year Olds – September 2010. This can be viewed and downloaded from new code of practice September 2010
Provider agreement 
(101KB - pdf help)
Parent Contract (27KB - pdf help)
Calendar 2011/2012 (59KB - pdf help), 2012/2013 (15KB - pdf help)
Extended and Flexible Entitlement from Sept 2010
- Background - The extension of Early Years Entitlement from the previous 12 ½ hours per week to 15 hours and those hours being available more flexibly to meet the needs of parents, was a key Labour government initiative and part of its 10 Year Childcare Strategy 2004. Many of Devon’s early years funded settings were invited to deliver this extended and more flexible service from September 2009, with the remaining providers doing so a year later, from the start of Autumn term 2010. Workshop/briefing sessions were held around the County both in spring 2009 and 2010, to help providers plan for the changes and consult with parents on what service they needed. The presentation from the 2010 workshop is available here. (302KB - pdf help)
- Consultation with parents – Before considering how to provide the extended 15 hours entitlement and do so more flexibly to meet the needs of parents, it was essential that providers consult with their parents. A sample survey/questionnaire was produced for providers to use or adapt, in order to help with their consultation and business planning. A parent leaflet (419KB - pdf help) and poster (206KB - pdf help) were produced to publicise the extended/flexible entitlement.
Consultation with providers on changes to EYEF
Providers have been consulted widely and in a variety of ways on changes to Early Years Entitlement.
An Early Years Funding Review Group has been meeting regularly for some 2 to 3 years to discuss the forthcoming changes to Early Years Entitlement and the Single Funding Formula. This group consist of Devon County Council staff involved with the early years sector and others who represent the interests of the PVI sectors and a range of schools with nursery units. Contact us for details of your sector representative.
You can view the minutes of the most recent meetings:
Minutes of the Early Years Funding Review Group Meeting (33KB - pdf help) held on 24 February 2010 (33KB - pdf help)
Minutes of the Early Years Funding Review Group Meeting (33KB - pdf help) held on 11 June 2010 (33KB - pdf help)
During autumn 2007 many of our early years funded childcare providers took part in a survey of the costs involved in delivering their service. This piece of work was a key part of moving towards a single formula for funding Early Years and delivering the Extended Flexible Entitlement by September 2010. The following report was published early in 2008:
Analysing the cost of delivering the free entitlement to nursery education in the PVI Sector (78KB - pdf help) (78KB - pdf help)
Analysing the cost of delivering the free entitlement to nursery education in the PVI Sector - Appendices (63KB - pdf help) (63KB - pdf help)
During spring 2009 and 2010 a series of provider workshop/briefing sessions were held throughout the County, to outline the changes to funding being brought about by the Extended Flexible Entitlement, to help providers prepare for those changes and to seek feedback on the challenges that would be faced as a result.
Early Years Entitlement Funding – A stretched Offer - Consultation
Devon’s Local Conditions of Funding the Early Years Entitlement- 2010 Consultation responses (15KB - pdf help)
Frequently asked questions
The following are a selection of answers to frequently asked questions raised during and since our briefing/workshop sessions. Relating to EYEF generally and in particular to the Extended and Flexible Entitlement, we will continue to update these as new matters are raised. Frequently asked questions (142KB - pdf help)
Conflict busters
There is a significant and increasing problem with conflicts caused by parents over claiming their entitlement between two providers. To try to prevent this in the future we have produced a 'Conflict Buster'” form. It is hoped that its use will resolve conflicts before returns are made. Below are some Busters that you can print out and some instructions for their use.
EYE Conflict buster- guide for completion.doc (8KB - pdf help)
EYE Conflict buster form (8KB - pdf help)
Unresolved conflicts (4KB - pdf help)
For more information please contact the EYE helpline on 01392 385530 or e-mail eyef@devon.gov.uk
