How to claim funding
To initiate funding, evidence of the parent/carers identity must be determined by the provider and the eligibility letter, along with the Parental Agreement/Registration Form, uploaded to the provider portal against the childs record when submitting funding headcount data (actuals).
The Parental Agreement Form contains an eligibility verification check box. This must be ticked to indicate that eligibility has been determined. The local authority cannot fund cases where evidence has not been verified and uploaded to the Provider Portal.
The eligibility verification process will also avoid issues of providers retrospectively charging parents/carers because their eligibility was not verified at the point of registration.
Codes
Codes are no longer provided for 2-year-olds and parents/carers should therefore not be asked to produce one. The local authority provides the parent/carer with a FF2s letter which contains their child’s name and eligibility confirmation.
Funding for out of borough children
To avoid any funding issues, the process of verification and uploading evidence of eligibility should be the same as for Haringey children. As with Haringey children, the local authority cannot fund cases where eligibility has not been evidenced and uploaded to the provider portal.
Mid-term places
Although mid-term funding cannot be made, providing childcare providers have evidenced eligibility for the current term – the local authority can instead process funding as an adjustment, either towards the end of the term (actuals stage) or retrospectively at the next pay point.
However, it is important to note that for children starting or leaving the setting after the given submission deadlines funding adjustment emails must be completed, evidencing eligibility, via the provider portal and submitted to the local authority by the deadline dates for the relevant term.
Waiting lists
Waiting lists for funded 2-year-olds are discouraged. This is because both children and providers miss out on many months of funding. In cases where places are not available and to ensure 2-year-old’s can take advantage of an immediate start, families should be referred to their local children’s centre where they will be supported to access a free place elsewhere.
Likewise, working with your local children’s centre means families can also be signposted to your setting during times of vacancy availability.
What you can charge for
A provider can charge for meals and snacks as part of a free place and they can also charge for consumables such as nappies or sun cream and for services such as trips. Where parents/carers are unable to pay for meals providers should allow them to supply their own meals wherever possible.
What you cannot charge for
Government guidance clearly states childcare providers must not impose conditions on parents/carers to which they must agree in order to take up their free hours (i.e. parents/carers must not be obligated to purchase additional hours or pay a registration/deposit or administration fee in order to secure their free hours).
Furthermore, the provider cannot charge parents/carers “top-up” fees (any difference between a provider’s normal charge to parents/carers and the funding they receive from the local authority to deliver free places).
However, if a parent/carer requires additional hours over and above the free 15 hours, rates should be explained and charged according to the providers own fees/charges policy.
Parents/carers should also be made aware of the help with childcare costs they may be able to claim.
Delivering free for 2s funded hours
The Government recommends delivery hours not exceeding 10 hours in any one day. They would also like to see providers offering flexible, high-quality provision that is responsive to children’s needs, including those with disabilities or special educational needs. This could include offering early morning/twilight or weekend provision in response to parental/carer requirements.
Golden tickets
Golden tickets were, in the past, used by the local authority as a marketing tool to raise awareness of the 2-year-old entitlement/Free for 2s and to encourage online application. The local authority no longer distributes promotional golden tickets for this purpose, however, older tickets may still be in circulation.
For childcare provider funding purposes, it is important to note that only golden tickets stating ‘free pass to early learning’ containing the reference WB or SW are acceptable as proof of eligibility. The tickets are used to bypass the online application process for families who meet the FF2s eligibility criteria.
These tickets are strictly distributed to Haringey social workers, family support workers and children’s centres to identify and support the most vulnerable 2-year-olds. Families identified for the golden ticket free pass to early learning are not required to apply for FF2s online or produce an eligibility letter – their golden ticket free pass is proof of their eligibility and the ticket helps them to access a free place without delay.
Only the golden ticket free pass to early learning containing a WB or SW reference are acceptable for eligibility and funding purposes. A copy of both sides of the ticket must be uploaded against the child’s record when submitting funding headcount data (actuals) to prevent payment issues or delays.
Free pass eligibility letters
Free Pass eligibility letters have recently been distributed, targeting families identified as being eligible. The letters are sent to eligible families to encourage prompt take up – supporting them by bypassing the need for online application.
As with the standard FF2 eligibility letters and free pass golden tickets, the free pass eligibility letters, the parents details must be verified/evidenced and the letter uploaded to the provider portal to prevent payment issues or delays.
Help for parents
Parents/carers should be signposted to the Childcare Choices website. The website contains information about free childcare and other help with childcare costs including a useful childcare costs calculator