Shaping Bradford’s delivery of the Childcare Free Entitlement - 30 hours Early Childhood Services

What is the Childcare Free Entitlement – 30hrs The new entitlement is an extension of the current education entitlement for 3&4 year olds and provides an additional 15 hours of free childcare for children that are eligible Policy document for the Childcare Bill Dec 15 then Childcare Act 16 Childcare free entitlement delivery model consultation Draft early education and childcare -Statutory Guidance for local authorities consultation March 2016 Full implementation September 2017

Key changes with the introduction of 30hrs (subject to results of the consultation) The introduction, from September 2017, of an additional 15 hours a week of free childcare for working parents of eligible three and four year olds. Process for checking eligibility for the additional hours will be determined by HMRC through a parental application/declaration Role of the local authority with the “verification” process Grace periods if a families circumstances change and cease to be eligible How local authorities should pay providers to deliver free early education and childcare places – Prompt payment code – monthly payments Model agreement between providers and the LA Flexible provision of the free early education and childcare entitlements Requirements on local authorities to publish information about early education and childcare places. Update provider information frequently including vacancies, use of online to engage and inform providers

Who will be eligible? The Department for Education’s existing Eligibility Checking System for the two- year-old entitlement and Free School Meals will be adapted to support this new eligibility and verification process. The additional 15 hours will be available to children age 3 at the start of the term following their 3 rd birthday and families meet the criteria: both parents are working (or the sole parent is working in a lone parent family), and each parent earns, on average, a weekly minimum equivalent to 16 hours at national minimum wage (NMW) or national living wage (NLW), and less than £100,000 per year (per individual).

Who will be eligible? Foster carers are eligible for their own children but not the children they foster “Working” will include employed and self-employed persons Parents do not necessarily need to actually work 16 hours a week, but rather their earnings must reflect at least 16 hours of work at NMW or NLW, which is £107 a week at the current NMW rate This includes those parents on zero contract hours who meet the criteria

In addition the extended entitlement will be available where Both parents are employed but one or both parents is temporarily away from the workplace on parental, maternity or paternity leave; Both parents are employed but one or both parents is temporarily away from the workplace on adoption leave; Both parents are employed but one or both parents are temporarily away from the workplace on statutory sick pay. One parent is employed and one parent has substantial caring responsibilities based on specific benefits received for caring; One parent is employed and one parent is disabled or incapacitated based on receipt of specific benefits. Who will be eligible?

Where can children take up their entitlement ? The entitlement can be taken up in a range of provision Providers on the Early Years Register Day Nursery Pre School Independent school Childminder Out of school childcare including holiday care provider a childminder registered with a Childminder Agency that is registered with Ofsted Schools taking children age two and over and which are exempt from registration with Ofsted as an early years provider School nursery class Nursery school Out of school childcare

How can children take up their entitlement ? Flexible packages of funded hours - children are able to take up their full entitlement of a funded place at times that best support their learning, and at times which fit with the needs of parents to enable them to work (subject to results of the consultation) no session to be longer than 10 hours no session to be shorter than 3 hours between 9.00am and 3.30pm not before 6.00am or after 8.00pm a maximum of three providers over more than 38 weeks of the year outside of school terms at weekends

Quality Evidence shows that higher quality provision has greater developmental benefits for children, particularly for the most disadvantaged children. The local authority is required to ensure that all children are able to take up their funded hours in a high quality setting. Wherever possible parents should be able to access a funded place with a ‘Good or Outstanding’ provider.

Implementation Nationally September 2017 Early Implementer Innovators (maps on table) Early Implementers will be delivering places from 2016 Early Innovators will be testing out some of the elements to help shape the national implementation for 2017

Bradford – Early Innovator Bradford LA is an Early Innovator for the 30 hours and has to use all reasonable endeavours to achieve the following objectives: Explore the extent to which the new entitlement incentivises work, particularly focussing on female working patterns Quantify the anticipated impact on the childcare market, by provider type and geographic area Test the impact of the entitlement on working patterns in areas of low and part- time female employment by developing flexible school-based provision Develop a communication plan to support parents to take informed decisions around work-life balance acknowledging their role as primary carer and educator Share the learning experience of being an Early Innovator with relevant stakeholders, including other local authorities through local/regional/national and virtual networks. Develop case studies and tool kit materials for use by other local authorities.

What Bradford knows so far Families will be eligible across the whole of the district Initial discussions with a sample of providers indicated limited need to create more places through a capital programme Vacancies of childcare and early education places vary across the district Schools are reporting an increase in vacancies in their nursery classes Some schools are exploring options to offer places flexible and/or offering paid for session

What Bradford knows so far cont. …… Spring 2016 data shows there are no significant changes to the population of 0-3s In spring 2016, 3 year old take up remained static at 58% in schools and 35% in PVI with 7% not taking up their entitlement Over a third of 3 year old children currently taking up an early education place are already accessing more than 15hrs and thus using paid for childcare [not all will be eligible] Early Implementers are paying providers a base rate between £3.74 and £4.00

What Bradford needs to know to be prepared for 2017 Results of the national consultation Funding rate Accurate data on number of eligible children and location Accurate capacity and vacancies Who is thinking of expanding current capacity Who will be delivering the 30 hours Providers perspective- Survey’s Parents perspective – Survey’s

What can you do to prepare Survey current parents of 2 year olds what will they want next year? Ask new parents if likely to be eligible Apply to become an early education funded provider, (if not already) and attend information session Check updates on Bradford Schools Online Link with childcare providers in your area