With you, with the child. Every step of the way.
Broadcast for Early Years and childcare providers in West Sussex from West Sussex County Council - Early Help Service
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Wednesday 13 January 2021
Early years providers play a crucial role in giving young children a good start in their learning and development, which is why we want to support you in your ongoing work with children and families.
Further to our last setting update sent on 12 January, we remain acutely aware of how much stress and anxiety there is regarding the current situation with Free Entitlement (FE) funding, not just for the sector but for parents too.
We are pleased to be able to announce that all children, including where parents wish to keep their children at home but retain their place at a setting, we will continue to fund you until February half-term, which is 12 February (current lockdown timescales subject to review and subject to the setting remaining open). You will be able to include these children on your actuals claim. We will provide updated guidance on how to do this as soon as possible, via the broadcast. You should also ensure you make it clear to parents that funding will continue to be claimed.
You will need to have a completed and signed Parent Declaration to be used as evidence of their planned attendance, should it be required. Should children move setting this term, funding must follow the child with no notice period applied (i.e. transfer between providers). Here is a letter for you to provide to parents, updating them on the revised funding position.
For those children who you would have been expecting to attend this term, but parents have chosen to keep them at home, we expect settings to continue to maintain regular contact with these families and provide home learning experiences to support their wellbeing and their learning. We know what amazing work you did with families in the first national restrictions and that this had such a positive impact in your local communities, so we hope that this security in funding will enable you to plan and deliver support as you did before. Should you have any concerns about any children or families, you should follow your normal safeguarding procedures.
The Leader of West Sussex County Council and Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, have sent this letter to Vicky Ford, Government Minister for Children and Families, which we would also encourage you to read.
We know that, across the county, the early years and childcare sector often goes above and beyond for their children and we hope that this announcement will go some way to alleviating some concerns you may have had. We cannot thank you enough for your ongoing hard work and unwavering support through these challenging times.
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