Childcare and Early Education

Free and impartial information and advice on Ofsted registered childcare and early education and help you can get with childcare costs including funded childcare and early education for 2, 3 and 4 years olds including 30 hours entitlement for working parents

• parents receive certain benefits
  
• or who have been adopted
  
• or are in care
  

The provider can use the funding to improve the quality of the early years education that they provide. This could include, for example, additional training for staff on early language development.

The Disability Access Fund (DAF) offers funding to early years providers to support children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) by removing barriers which prevent children from accessing their free early education entitlement.

To claim this funding, a child must meet certain national criteria. Providers can claim the funding once the parent/carer has nominated them as the main provider of their child’s early education entitlement, and demonstrated their child is in receipt of Disability Living Allowance.

2, 3 and 4-year olds will be eligible for the Disability access fund if the child:

• is in receipt of child disability living allowance (DLA) and
• attends an early years provider for the funded entitlement

Note: Four-year olds in primary and infant school reception classes are NOT eligible for DAF funding. Children become eligible for free early education at different points in the year depending on when they turn 2.

Contact your early years provider for more information about claiming DAF.

All children in year R and Year 1 and 2 automatically receive a free school meal. However, if your child has been receiving Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) whilst receiving 3 & 4 year old funding they may be eligible for Pupil Premium.  Schools receive extra funding to support children eligible for pupil premium and these eligible children receive additional benefits such as entry into Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) programme and food vouchers.

Children are not automatically awarded with this support and must register for free school meals by calling Central Bedfordshire Council on 0300 300 8306. This can be done as early as the Summer Term, before your child transitions into Reception Class.   

You will be responsible for ensuring you keep Central Bedfordshire Council up to date with changes in your circumstances, which could affect eligibility, and this could include: 

• no longer wishing to receive free school meals 
• a new partner joining your household
• you move house
• your child changes their name
• you change your name
• another child reaches the qualifying age for free school meals
• your child goes into care
• your child changes schools
• your child moves between parents and/or guardians.