Funding for the Early Years and Childcare Entitlement

As stated in The Early Education and Childcare Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities, March 2017:

‘Providers need to ensure their invoices and receipts are clear, transparent and itemised allowing parents to see that they have received their child’s free entitlement completely free of charge and understand fees paid for additional hours or services. Invoices and receipts should include the provider’s full details so that they can be identified as coming from a specific provider.

Providers should publish their admissions criteria and ensure that providers work with parents to ensure parents understand which hours / sessions can be taken as free provision.

The Local Authority may carry out termly checks and or/audits on randomly chosen providers to ensure compliance with the requirements of delivering free entitlements and will provide a written record of such checks, including actions and recommendations to the provider.’