 We have attended a number of webinars hosted by the Department for Education (DfE) recently and want to share these updates with you. Please continue to signpost parents to Childcare Choices if they have any questions about the upcoming changes.
The updated eligibility checker on childcarechoices.gov.uk is now live, and allows parents to access personalised information on the support available to them, including which of the new childcare offers they will be eligible for depending on the age of their child and earnings.
The website will also give parents the opportunity to sign up for regular updates letting them know when they should take action to make sure they are getting the support they are entitled to. This includes when the application process for the new 15 funded hours for two-year-olds becomes available. The offer begins in April 2024 for children who have turned two by 1 April 2024.
We will be holding two webinars on the updates on the expansion of Early Education entitlements. Please book on through the Traded Services website using the links below.
Date: Tuesday 28 November 2023
Times: 1.30pm - 2.30pm - book here or 6.30pm - 7.30pm - book here
- Early Years Supplementary Grant
- Entitlements expansion
- Funding consultation outcome
- Changes to statutory guidance
- Changes to IT systems
- Information for parents
- Information for providers
- LA readiness self-assessments - sufficiency assessments
- Next steps
 Autumn term
The EYSG payments for the autumn term have all been processed and you should all have received a payment if you were eligible. Please complete the adjustment task 2 as usual at the end of this term if there have been any changes to children's hours or any children have left or joined your setting, the EYSG payment will be amended to reflect these changes.
Spring term
We will make a further EYSG payment for the spring term 2024. We will again prioritise any mid-term payments due to providers and once these payments are complete we will use the data that you have submitted to calculate and pay the additional EYSG to you, there is no need for you to do anything.
Please note that these payments will not show in Synergy as they are part of a standalone top-up grant only for the autumn 2023 and spring 2024 terms.
 With the new entitlements coming into place in April we will need to extend our provision across the city in order to be sufficient. We are currently working with other departments in the council to find new properties and upgrade existing buildings in order that we will be ready for the increased numbers of children that will potentially be wanting a childcare place in Portsmouth. If you are interested in expansion, please do get in touch so we can discuss this further. Email mindy.butler@portsmouthcc.gov.uk.
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