FUNDING POLICY

Early Education Funding (EEF) Policy for 9 -23 months 2, 3 & 4 Year Olds.

Early Education Funding ensures that all three and four-year old’s benefit from quality early years education. Some 9-23 months and two-year olds are also able to claim up to 30 hours a week, term time only (38 weeks of the year) of early education funding through the Government Funding scheme.

Jolly Tots is on the current Directory of Providers which means they are

able to provide funded nursery education places to all eligible 9-23 month, 2, 3 and 4-year-olds.

EEF Eligibility

-9-23 months funding - this is an eligibility-based funding for term time only (38 weeks of the year), free childcare from the term following the child turning nine months old. 

• 2-year-old funding – This is an eligibility-based funding for 28 weeks of free

childcare a year effective from the term following the child’s 2nd birthday.

Applications for 9-13 months and 2-year-old funding are made via the local authority and places can only be allocated once eligibility has been confirmed. Eligibility is confirmed by the local authority that the provider is based within and then claimed and paid directly to Jolly Tots. You will receive a code which you need to provide us with to enter your eligibility onto our system. 

Parents wishing to purchase additional weeks/hours are welcome to do so. Additional weeks/hours are charged at the rate of the fees of the setting (subject to change) and are subject to availability. 

To find out if you are eligible for 9-23- and 2-year-old funding visit

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/2-year-old-early-education-entitlement-local-authority-guide

Universal 15 hours- All children are eligible for 15 hours a week of free nursery

education starting from the term after their third birthday. This is part of the

Government's early education funding scheme, also known as the Early Education

Entitlement. Honeybears Childminders do not offer a ‘Stretched offer’.

We would like to make you aware the government regularly make changes to their policies and as of April 2025 we understand there has been an update to the funding policy. We are not permitted to ask parents to top up their free government funding of 30 hours per week, instead we are to state clearly the cost of consumables and non consumables which we do already. We provide a huge array of resources, practitioner skills, spare baby wipes and spare nappies due to parents often not supplying these. We pride ourselves on excellent staff training and continued professional development. 

Jolly Tots works with children, parents and the Local Authority’s

Early Education and Childcare Places Team to ensure that we deliver early education

to a high standard and provide planned learning activities in line with children’s

interests which help children’s development progress and prepares them for their present and future education. As an Early Education Provider, we are required to follow the guidelines set out in the Provider Agreement procedures and the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage We are required to ensure that children for whom we receive EEF attend regularly and have an obligation to inform the Early Years and Childcare Sufficiency Team if children do not attend.

To comply with these requirements the nursery will:

• Require you to complete an Early Education Funding Parental/Carer Declaration prior to your child starting an EEF funded place and each term thereafter.

• Require a copy of the EEF funding confirmation letter including the entitlement code.

• Need to be made aware if your child is claiming Early Education Funding at another

setting.

• Require seeing a copy of the child’s birth certificate

• Require the Parent’s NI number

We will monitor children’s attendance in the following ways:

• We will ask you to contact the nursery to inform us if your child is going to be absent

or late.

• We will make every attempt to contact you if the reason for the absence is unknown.

. Please ensure you adhere to the times agreed for your child to attend the setting to avoid early drop off and late collection.

• Attendance of all children is monitored by the Local Authority through an internal

audit.

• There will be no exchange of Early Education Funded sessions due to the child’s absence. 

• If your child leaves the setting the nursery will require two month’s notice in writing

from the parent/guardian.

• Where a child attends more than one setting, we will make every attempt to liaise and exchange information with the other setting to support your child’s progress and development.

All our Policies & Procedures are crafted to ensure the highest possible standards at our setting and will be reviewed frequently, if necessary, in light of specific events or relevant statutory changes.