Early Years Funding for 2, 3 and 4-year-olds

  • What is Early Years Funding?

    The government provides funding for all 3 and 4-year-old children and some 2-year-olds to attend early years provision for 570 hours per year.

    From September 2017, eligible 3 and 4-year olds will be entitled to 1140 hours per year (30 hours a week term time). Please see the Extended Entitlement webpage for more information.

  • Who is eligible?

    Parents can check their eligibility through the Childcare Choices website.

    2-year-olds

    A 2-year-old can get funded childcare if the parent/carer gets one of the following:

    • Income Support
    • Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
    • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
    • Universal Credit and your household income is £15,400 a year or less after tax, not including benefit payments
    • child tax credits, and your household income is £16,190 a year or less before tax
    • the guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
    • support through part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act
    • the Working Tax Credit 4-week run on (the payment you get when you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)

    Parents must check their eligibility for the entitlement to Early Years Funding for their 2-year-olds. Parents will need their National Insurance number, date of birth, name and child’s details. Eligibility can be checked online or by phone: 0345 155 1013.

    Or

    A 2-year-old can also get funded childcare if any of the following apply

    • they’re looked after by a local council
    • they have an education, health and care (EHC) plan
    • they get Disability Living Allowance
    • they’ve left care under a special guardianship order, child arrangements order or adoption order

    Parents and carers of children with additional needs, foster and adoptive parents should apply online and attach supporting evidence to their application.

    The government has extended eligibility for the most disadvantaged two year old children to include three additional groups of children from September 2019.
    The new groups of children to be entitled to a funded place are:

    • Children of Zambrano Carers;
    • Children of families with no recourse to public funds with a right to remain in the UK on grounds of private/family life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights;
    • Children of a subset of failed asylum seekers (supported under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 – ‘the 1999 Act’)

    The children of Zambrano Carers will be entitled if their parents meet similar low level income requirements to others eligible for the scheme (e.g. £15,400 net earnings threshold for families in receipt of Universal Credit). Similarly, we are extending the entitlement to children whose families have a right to be here on Article 8 grounds with no recourse to public funds and who meet the same criteria of economic disadvantage. We are also extending eligibility to children whose families receive support under section 4 of the 1999 Act because they are temporarily unable to leave the UK and would otherwise be destitute. As such, they satisfy the low income requirements to be eligible for the entitlement.

    Parent and Carers of children that would fall in to one of the new categories should discuss applying for the two year old funding with the Early Years Entitlement Helpdesk on 01392 385530 or  eyef@devon.gov.uk

    Children are eligible to receive the Early Years Funding from the start of the term after their 2nd birthday for a maximum of three funding periods.

    Parents/carers cannot apply before the start of the funding period in which the child’s second birthday occurs.

    3 and 4-year-olds

    All 3 and 4-year-olds are eligible for the Early Years Funding starting from the term after their third birthday until they start school (usually at statutory school age – the term following their fifth birthday).

    When are children eligible?

    Child’s birthday between: 2-year-old applications can be made no earlier than: Funding can start from:
    1 January and 31 March 1 January Start of term beginning on or following 1 April after the child’s second birthday
    1 April and 31 August 1 April Start of term beginning on or following 1 September after the child’s second birthday
    1 September and 31 December 1 September Start of term beginning on or following 1 January after the child’s second birthday

    Extended Entitlement for 3 and 4 year olds

    A 3 or 4-year-old can get the extended entitlement of up to 1140 hours of funded childcare (30 hours per week, term time) if the both parents or lone parent:

    • earns at least £115 a week or works more than 16 hours at the National Living Wage (unless you became self-employed less than 12 months ago), or expect to earn at least £111 a week or work more than 16 hours at the National Minimum Wage (unless you became self-employed less than 12 months ago).
    • expect to earn at least £61.92 a week if you’re under 18, £84.80 a week if you’re aged 18-20 or £52.80 a week if you’re an apprentice (either under 19 or in the first year of your apprenticeship)

    Both parents or lone parent must also:

    • live in England
    • expect to have income of less than £100,000 each a year

    More information on eligibility can be found here.

    Please see the Extended Entitlement webpage for more information

  • How much will I get paid for providing the Early Years Funded childcare?

    As of 1st April 2022, early years providers are funded to provide childcare at a rate of £5.26 per hour (Base Rate £5.24 + Deprivation £0.02) per eligible 2-year-old.

    The hourly rate paid for 3 and 4 year-olds will be :

    From Hourly Rate   Description
    September 2017 £4.02 = Base Rate of £3.98 + Universal SEND £0.04
    April 2018 £4.06 = Base Rate of £4.02 + Universal SEND £0.04
    September 2018 £4.08 = Base Rate of £4.02 + Universal SEND £0.04 + Deprivation £0.02
    April 2020 £4.16 = Base Rate of £4.10 + Universal SEND £0.04 + Deprivation £0.02
    April 2021 £4.20 = Base Rate of £4.14 + Universal SEND £0.04 + Deprivation £0.02
    September 2021 £4.22 = Base Rate of £4.14 + Universal SEND £0.04 + Deprivation £0.04
    April 2022 £4.38 = Base Rate of £4.30 + Universal SEND £0.04 + Deprivation £0.04

  • Can I offer the Early Years Funding to parents?

    To offer the Early Years Funding for 2, 3 and four-year olds a provider must:

    • be on either the Early Years Ofsted Register, Schools Ofsted Register 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 on Pinpoint – a directory of service in Devon

    The funding is claimed through a secure online database therefore providers should have a business email address and internet access.

    Please note that to offer the Early Years Funding for 2-year-olds, you should be judged as good or outstanding by Ofsted. New providers who have not been inspected will be funded.

    All information on policy, procedure, systems and processes for providing the Early Years Funding can be found in the Local Conditions of Funding.

  • How do I register?

    If you wish to register to become funded to offer the Early Years Funding for 2, 3 and 4-year-olds you will need to:

    1. Request a New Provider Pack from the Early Years Entitlement Funding Helpdesk – phone: 01392 385530 or email: eyef@devon.gov.uk
    2. Read all the information sent in the New Provider Pack. This includes Provider Agreement
    3. Return the Provider Agreement Form (Annexe A) to eyef@devon.gov.uk

    If you are already registered to offer the Early Years Funding for 3 and 4-year-olds and wish to register to become funded to offer this to eligible 2-year-olds please apply to the Early Years Entitlement Funding Helpdesk – phone: 01392 385530 or email: eyef@devon.gov.uk.

  • What do I need to do?

    Each term you will need to:

    1. Check that children are eligible for the Early Years Funding
    2. Complete a claim through the Provider Portal (secure online database)
    3. Make amendments for any children that have joined or left during the term
    4. Inform the helpdesk if there have been any significant changes to number of children attending for funded hours or if you have no funded children.

    For more information on the process for claiming the Early Years Funding please see:

    Providers must notify the helpdesk immediately if they are unable to meet the conditions of the agreement. This will not necessarily affect the continuation of the service and Devon County Council may be able to offer support to enable it to continue.

  • Early Years Pupil Premium

    The Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) is additional funding for early years providers to enhance the education they provide for eligible 3 and 4-year-olds.

    More information on the Early Years Pupil Premium and how to claim this additional funding.

  • Working in partnership with Devon County Council

    We ask that all providers that receive funding through Devon County Council’s Early Years and Childcare Service follow this publicity guidance. Thank you for working with us.

  • Resource documents

  • Correspondence

  • Frequently asked questions

    The following are a selection of answers to frequently asked questions:

  • Contact Us

    E-mail: eyef@devon.gov.uk
    Phone: 01392 385530
    Post: Early Years and Childcare Service, Devon County Council, Room 170, County Hall, Topsham Road, Exeter, Devon, EX2 4QD

  • Useful links

Devon County Council, County Hall, Topsham Road, Exeter, Devon EX2 4QD
Our contact numbers
Devon County Council