Month: February 2021

A COVID Winter Grant Fund has been made available to local authorities and district councils to support families experiencing financial hardship over the 2020-21 winter. Children eligible for free school meals will be issued with food vouchers and district councils will be able to support families through their hardship grants.

To inform and improve Devon’s Maternity and Early Years offer to families we are working with the Early Intervention Foundation to complete a self-assessment of our Maternity and Early Years system. The survey should take no more than 15 minutes and will be open until 26th February 2021.

All Children’s Centres across Devon have continued with service delivery throughout the pandemic. The service has been adapted to meet the needs of children and families, by providing online interventions of all services but also continuing to provide face to face when needed.

You must tell Ofsted about new people aged 16 or over who live or work in the home you look after children in within 14 days. This includes children who turn 16.

Can we firstly update providers regarding funding for children where parents have chosen for them not to attend.  We have confirmed funding for the 6 week lockdown period but now we know that is extending we can provide the following update.  Funding can continue to be claimed for the remainder of the spring term for non-attendance but parents must be made aware as per our previous Spring Guidance.

Guidance for childcare and educational settings in the management of COVID-19 – flowchart and Checklist for Acute Respiratory Infection management in educational settings.

Following a successful pilot phase last week, this free service is now available for critical workers and those in high-risk occupations who still have to attend work, and people who are in contact with vulnerable individuals, such as paid and unpaid carers, and volunteers. Early Years and Childcare staff are considered to be critical workers.

Following the success of the virtual coffee mornings/twilight catch-up sessions held previously, a further round of ‘catch-up’ sessions have been planned by the Early Years and Childcare Service.

This is an important notice from the Department of Health and Social Care relating to the Blayco PF-01 Face Visors which have been sent out to organisations between the 27th December 2020 and the 3rd February 2021.

The Government has announced the significant expansion of its tried and tested Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme. This programme has provided healthy food and enriching activities during the summer holidays to children who receive benefits-related free school meals.