Provider Portal software upgrade and summer term data submission dates
In preparation for collecting summer term data, the Provider Portal will be upgraded. Providers will then be able to submit the details of 2-year-olds from working families who are eligible for 15 hours of childcare per week from April 2024.
Due to the system upgrade, the Provider Portal will open slightly later than planned on Thursday 14 March for you to add your summer term data. The Provider Portal will then close on Sunday 24 March for interim (70%) payments to be calculated and paid by Friday 12 April. Any late data will result in a delayed interim payment.
Free Early Education Entitlement Contracts
Contracts for financial year 2024/25 will be issued electronically via DocuSign. To avoid any delays in receiving your contract, please log onto the Provider Portal and check the staff details provided. Each setting is required to provide the name and email address for the following members of staff:
- Designated Safeguarding Lead
- Free Entitlement Contract Signatory
- Free Entitlement Administrator
- Manager
- SENCo
Please follow the guidance notes to submit your staff details. Childminders, please ensure your Free Entitlement Contract Signatory email and Free Entitlement Administrator addresses are correct. This can be checked by logging onto the Provider Portal and clicking on the Staff tab from the homepage.
Early Years Entitlement Funding for 2024/25
The funding formula for 2024/25 has been approved by the Children and Families Committee. The rates below will be introduced from 1 April 2024.
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3- & 4-year-olds rates (5.2% increase)
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2024/25
(per child per hour)
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Base rate
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£5.06
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Deprivation – Group based provision
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£0.0066
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Deprivation – Childminders
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£0.80
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Rural
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£0.083
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EYPP will be available to 2 year olds from April 2024.
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2-year-olds rates
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2024/25
(per child per hour)
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Base rate
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£7.11
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EYPP
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£0.68
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2YO Disadvantaged rate
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£7.79
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2YO Working families rate
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£7.11
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The rates below will be introduced from 1 September 2024 as the entitlements expand to include children from 9 months to 23 months old.
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Under 2 rates
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September 2024/25
(per child per hour)
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Base rate
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£9.65
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All rates applicable to all settings.
Government funding is intended to deliver 15 or 30 hours a week of free, high quality, flexible childcare. It is not intended to cover the costs of meals, other consumables, additional hours or additional services.
Providers are reminded that they can charge for meals and snacks as part of a free entitlement place and that they can also charge for consumables, such as nappies or sun cream, and for services such as trips and specialist tuition. However, providers should be mindful of the impact of additional charges on parents, especially the most disadvantaged. Providers, who choose to offer the free entitlements, are responsible for setting their own policy on providing parents with options for alternatives to additional charges, including allowing parents to supply their own meals or nappies, or waiving or reducing the cost of meals and snacks.
The purchase of additional hours of provision or additional services must not be a condition of accessing a free place. Charges for additional services should be fair and transparent.
2-year-old eligibility codes
Working families entitlement: to apply for a code parents should go to childcarechoices.gov.uk or call Childcare Choices on 0300 123 4097.
Eligibility codes will be issued in the same format as the 30-hour codes for 3- and 4-year-olds which are 11 digits and start with ‘50...’. The same code will remain with the child until they reach school age regardless of whether they drop in and out of eligibility.
Working parents who have a tax-free childcare account may have already received their 2-year-old eligibility code. Codes with an end date of 31st March will need reconfirming to make sure they are valid for summer term 2024. Please validate codes through the Eligibility checker in the Provider Portal. Add the code, child date of birth and Parent/Carer NI number and submit. The data will not be stored at this stage but checking the end date of the code will provide assurance to providers and parents that 2-year-old working family funding will be available in summer term.
 Current entitlement: Parents of 2 year olds who are in receipt of certain benefits are able to check their eligibility for 15 hours funded childcare via our webpage, or by contacting the Family Information Service on 0300 123 5033.
Eligibility codes are 6 digits and are a mixture of letters and numbers.
Unlike the working family entitlement, parents who receive a 6-digit code will continue to be eligible for a 2-year-old place until their child turns 3 and receives 3-year-old funding.
Useful information for working parents of 2-year olds
Expanded entitlements from April 2024 onwards
The early education entitlement will be expanded for working families of younger children so they can access 15 hours per week, increasing to 30 hours per week by September 2025.
The expanded offer for younger children will be introduced in stages:
- From April 2024 - working parents of two-year olds can access 15 hours
- From September 2024 – working parents of children aged 9 to 23 months can access 15 hours
- From September 2025 – working parents of children aged nine months upwards can access 30 hours
Parents must work at least 16 hours per week and each parent must not earn more than £100,000 to be eligible for this expanded funding. Eligibility can be checked on the Childcare Choices website.
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