Month: February 2021

We are pleased to announce that the Threshold Tool had been revised and updated and is now available on the Devon Children and Families Partnership (DCFP) website.

A message from Val Smith, Senior Manager (Early Years and Childcare Service) and an update to the Early Years Weekly Attendance Survey.

You may have seen a recent report where a parent was wrongly being charged a top-up fee for the early years entitlement. Devon Early Years and Childcare Service wishes to remind all providers that charging the difference between the hourly rate you charge and the early years funding you receive is not allowed.

Updates include: Actions for schools during the coronavirus outbreak; Protective measures for holiday or after-school clubs and other out-of-school settings for children during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak; Guidance for parents and carers of children attending out-of-school settings during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak; Inspecting registered childcare providers: information for parents ; What parents and carers need to know about early years providers, schools and colleges and FAQs from the early years sector on the national lockdown.

Thank you to those funded private, voluntary and independent (PVI) providers (including governor run pre-schools) who have submitted their Early Years Census information through the new Self Update icon on the provider portal. For those who have not done so already, please submit your information to us by Friday 12th February.

The current EYFS Framework was first proposed in 2008 and has been revised several time since (2012, 2014 and 2017). Each update leads to changes in daily practice, staff training, policies and paperwork in some way. Change is expected again and from September 2021 all early years providers will have to comply with a new revised EYFS Framework (EYFS Reforms).

On 31st December 2020, the United Kingdom (UK) ended the trade and transition period. This means that from 1st January 2021, EEA nationals will be treated as third country nationals coming into the UK, and will need to meet additional immigration requirements to access 30 hours free childcare or Tax-Free Childcare.

The DFE have produced a toolkit to help you communicate with working parents about the available offers and support that has been put in place relating to Tax-Free Childcare and 30 Hours Free Childcare.

Our Parents Childcare Survey is live and we need your help in reaching parents. We particularly need more responses from parents in North Devon, Torridge, East Devon, Dartmouth, Teignmouth, Kingsbridge.

The Bookstart treasure pack order form has been sent to providers in West Devon this week.