Early Education and Childcare Staffordshire

‼️CONSULTATION ON CHANGES TO THE EY FUNDED ENTITLEMENTS - HAVE YOUR SAY💷

The DFE would like to hear your views on proposals to:

🟠change to how DFE allocate SEND funding for early years settings
🟠update to the data used in the early years national funding formula (EYNFF)
🟠change local funding rules for local authorities

These proposals will help to improve:

🟠access to childcare for families on low incomes
🟠support for children with SEND in early years settings
🟠how the DFE allocate funding

⚠This consultation is open until 14th September 2026

Changes to the funding system for early years entitlements We're seeking views on our proposals to reform the early years funding system for early years entitlements.

‼️PROVIDERS AND FAMILIES ARE INVITED TO GIVE VIEWS ON THE COMPETITION & MARKETING AUTHORITY REVIEW - DEADLINE 26th JULY - PLEASE SHARE 🗣💬

⚠️On 1st July, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched their review into the early years education and childcare market. You can learn more about the market study: https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/early-years-education-and-childcare-market-study -of-market-study

⚠️As part of this, the CMA has launched a call for views from families, providers and other interested groups, like local authorities. You can share your views on the market here by 26th July:

https://connect.cma.gov.uk/childcare-market-study/

👍SUMMER SUFFICIENCY DATA - 100 % RETURN✅

👏The Early Years team would like to thank all early years providers for submitting their Summer 2026 Sufficiency Data promptly. We have had 100% return!

Thank you for your continued support.😎

⚠⚠NEW CONTACT NUMBER FOR STAFFORDSHIRE FAMILIES INTEGRATED FRONT DOOR (SFIFD) ☎

‼ A new contact number for SFIFD is live from 21st July - 0300 111 8033. ☎

If you believe a child to be at risk of/suffered immediate harm:
This must be reported to the Police on 999.
Once you have reported to the Police, please contact Staffordshire Families Integrated Front Door (IFD) urgently :

🟧Call 0300 111 8033 during office hours (Monday-Thursday 8:30am-5pm and Friday 8:30am – 4:30pm) **Use new contact number from 21st July**
🟧Call 0345 604 2886 out of hours to speak to the Emergency Duty Service

If you believe a child to be at risk of/suffered immediate harm:
This must be reported to the Police on 999.
Once you have reported to the Police, please contact Staffordshire Families Integrated Front Door (IFD) urgently :

🟧Call 0300 111 8033 during office hours (Monday-Thursday 8:30am-5pm and Friday 8:30am – 4:30pm) **Use new contact number from 21st July**
🟧Call 0345 604 2886 out of hours to speak to the Emergency Duty Service

👀MORE INFORAMTION WILL BE IN THIS WEEK'S EEAC UPDATE.

📅Working Parent Code Validity Dates – Autumn Term 2026 💷

✅To claim working parent funding for a child in the autumn term, the code start date must fall on or before 31/08/2026, and the code end date on or after 01/09/2026. The parent/carer must apply (or reconfirm) by the deadline of 31/08/2026.

❗️If a child who was eligible for the working parent entitlement is already in the grace period when they start at the provider, the working parent entitlement cannot be claimed in that term.

The code Grace Period can only be used if your setting claimed working parent funding for the child in the previous term.

Click the link below for more guidance on running a working parent code check.

For all queries contact the Funding Team on ☎️ 01785 854009 or email 📧[email protected], quoting your provider ID.

www.staffordshire.gov.uk

‼️ PROVIDER AGREEMENT 2026 ROLLED OUT TO PROVIDERS 📑

⚠️It is that time of year again as Staffordshire's early education funding provider agreement has been sent (29/06) to early years providers to complete electronically. **This is also applicable for schools***.

Guidance was also sent to providers via all listed contacts immediately after the agreement was sent out.

⚠️Providers should have consideration to following:

✅The agreement was sent to a main email for each setting as supplied by Ofsted or the provider.

✅If you have not received the agreement via one email please check other email contacts for the setting, or your junk mail.

✅Some email contacts may have received multiple agreements, this would be because there are multiple settings that the email is listed as a contact and an agreement needs signing for each setting.

For any queries please contact: 📧 [email protected]

☀GUIDANCE FOR LOOKING AFTER CHILDREN IN HOT WEATHER - FAO EARLY YEARS SETTINGS AND SCHOOLS 🚸

❗️The DfE has published advice and guidance for those educational establishments who look after children.

Looking after children and those in early years settings before and during hot weather: teachers and other educational professionals This page advises those working with children on how to reduce the risks of hot weather to the health of people they provide care for. This is part of the guidance for the hazard: heat.

‼️Level 2 Working Together to Safeguard Children Multi Agency Training🎓

This is aimed at new members of the workforce who work predominantly with children, young people and/or their parents/carers and who could potentially contribute to assessing, planning, intervening, and evaluating the needs of a child and parenting capacity where there are safeguarding concerns.

▶️Thursday 27 August 2026 9.30 am – 4.30 pm -online via MS Teams

To book your place please go to the SSCP webpage, charges may apply:

Staffordshire SCP and Stoke-on-Trent SCP - Learning Management System The Learner Management System is managed jointly by Staffordshire Safeguarding Children Partnership and Stoke-on-Trent Safeguarding Children Partnership as part of a shared commitment to deliver a multi-agency high quality learning and development offer to the children's workforce in Staffordshire a...

🆕PARENT DECLARATION FORM & PRIVACY NOTICE NOW AVAILABLE📝

All providers who offer early years funded entitlements were earlier today (23/6) sent a communication about the new funding parent declaration form for the period 📅September 2026 to August 2027. Providers should review the full communication as soon as possible.

In summary....

🔸Providers and parents need to complete the parent declaration form and sign it as soon as possible for children who will attend your provision from September 2026.

🔸A parent declaration must also be completed during the academic year for any new starters eligible for funded hours and for children from the point they become eligible for funded hours.

🔸As the new parent declaration covers funded places from September 2026 until August 2027 the form will only need to be completed once per academic year if the child’s attendance and funding claims remain the same.

🔸However, a new parent declaration will need to be completed by providers and parents for the following circumstances:

➡️A child’s attendance pattern/ hours changes from what was initially added to the parent declaration for Sept 26 – Aug 27.
➡️The number of funded hours changes the provider wants to claim on behalf of the family changes and / or any of the charges for extra hours or other services change.

The new form can be downloaded from: www.staffordshire.gov.uk/parentdeclaration

‼️CHILDCARE SUFFICIENCY DATA REQUEST - SUMMER 2026. 📊

👏Many thanks to all the providers and Childminders who have submitted their Childcare Sufficiency Data by the closing date on 12 June 2026.

If you have not already done so, please submit your data as soon as possible; all non returners will be contacted by a member of the team to chase this up.

Contact the team by emailing 📧[email protected] if you are experiencing difficulties in submitting your data.

Thank you in advance for your continued support. 👏