Early Years and Childcare Special Newsletter
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Thursday 26 February 2026
This special newsletter includes:
- New Early Years Funded Entitlement Provider Declaration coming soon
- New Parent Declaration Form
- Term dates: summer 2026 to summer 2027
- Summer 2026 - Increase in funded term time only claimable weeks
- Webinars available - completing your Annual Provider Declaration
We are nearly finished updating the Early Years Funded Entitlement Provider Declaration for 2026/27. It will be published week commencing 2 March 2026 and will be available to complete on the Online Provider Portal (OPP).
A new Parent Declaration Form for 2026/27 is now available on the Providing EYFE web page under “Parent Declaration Form.”
The guidance notes for parents have been moved into a separate document, listed directly underneath the form. The main changes are:
- a new section for additional services and alternative arrangements
- a clearer layout for how to record attendance and funded sessions
Please use the new form for all parents.
Below are the EYFE funded term dates for the next academic year. Dates differ depending on whether you offer EYFE term time only or stretched/self-stretched.
Term time only:
- Summer 2026: 13 April to 22 July (up to 13 weeks)
- Autumn 2026: 1 September to 18 December (up to 14 weeks)
- Spring 2027: 4 January to 26 March (up to 11 weeks)
- Summer 2027: 12 April to 16 July (up to 13 weeks)
Stretched and self-stretched:
(these include half-terms and summer holidays)
- Summer 2026: 13 April to 28 August (up to 20 weeks)
- Autumn 2026: 1 September to 31 December (up to 18 weeks)
- Spring 2027: 4 January to 9 April (up to 14 weeks)
- Summer 2027: 12 April to 31 August (up to 20 weeks)
We have increased the number of claimable weeks for term time only providers in summer 2026 so it aligns more closely with Department for Education guidance.
What this means for you:
- new children can receive up to 13 funded weeks
- children who had claimed 11 weeks in spring 2026 can now claim 13 weeks for summer 2026
- children who had claimed 12 weeks in spring 2026 can claim 12 weeks for summer 2026
- the combined total for spring and summer 2026 cannot exceed 24 weeks for any child
We are pleased to offer free online training sessions to support you with completing your Annual Provider Declarations.
You can now book onto one of the sessions below:
We strongly encourage all providers to attend, or to view the updated guidance once it is published.
Please note: the Provider Declaration agreement form is not yet available. It will appear on the Online Provider Portal once the EYFE Provider Declaration document has been published.
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