The Parental Agreement
You must have a signed Parental Agreement in place before you make a claim for the EEF.
The Parental Agreement is a contract between you and the parent that states the agreed conditions, hours and patterns of access to the EEF. The Parental Agreement also authorises you to claim EEF funding on the parent/carer's behalf. Without this authorisation you cannot claim EEF funding.
If you do not have a signed Parental Agreement in place at headcount week you cannot make an EEF claim as you will not have authority from the parent to claim their EEF hours.
We have produced a 'model' Parental Agreement for settings, which must be used..
- Model Parental Agreement for all Settings
- Parental Agreement Appendix 1 Terms and Conditions
- Parental Agreement Guidance Notes for Completion
- Parental Agreement EEF In Year Changes Form Feb 2024
How to submit funding claims
You should submit your claims via the provider portal during headcount week each term. You can also submit supplementary claims for children who start or increase their hours with you after the headcount week. See the online headcount and provider portal page for more information.
Early Education Funding Rates
The table below outlines the base rates that have been agreed for 2024 - 2025.
| Effective Dates | 9 Months-2 Years | 2 Year Olds | 3&4 Year Olds | EYPP | DAF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 April 2024 - 31 March 2025 | £9.51 | £7.10 | £5.41 | £0.68 | £910 |
Settings will also receive the relevant deprivation funding on top of the base rates, as notified in the annual budget statements that were issued in the spring term.
Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP)
EYPP is additional funding that the government makes available for early years settings (including childminders) to improve the education they provide for disadvantaged children whose families qualify.
You claim EYPP through the normal headcount process.
Watch our short video to find out about the early years pupil premium.
Disability Access Fund (DAF)
The Government has announced increased support for children with disabilities through the introduction of a Disability Access Fund (DAF) which will provide £910.00 per year for every eligible child.
Eligibility
The funding is available for all eligible children who receive Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and are accessing an early education funded childcare place. Four year old children who are in primary reception classes are not eligible for the funding.
Payment
Parents are required to 'nominate' the provider they want the funding to be paid to. The funding is a one-off lump sum payment and is not transferable if the child moves to a different provider part way through the financial year. Subsequent providers will not receive any funding if the DAF has already been paid.
How to claim
In order to claim the funding you must submit a copy of the child's DLA eligibility letter and completed Parental Agreement.
In the event that more than one application is received in the financial year, the provider nominated by the parent in the first application will receive the funding.
Copies of Parental Agreements and DLA letters must be sent by secure email to fee234@lancashire.gov.uk or by post to EEF Team, County Hall, Preston, PR1 0LD.
Inclusion Fund
The Inclusion Fund provides support to early years settings to address the needs of individual children who have emerging and identified special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and promote inclusion.
All providers in Lancashire who are registered to offer early education funded places can apply for the additional funding through the Inclusion Fund.