Funding For Two Year Olds

[Cait]

Our County are funding for 2 year olds with CAF. Is this standard across the Country or are some Counties offering funding for 2 year olds either across the board or in deprived areas?

 

It's just a query, I just wondered if we were all being treated the same (laughs to self)

[HappyMaz]

I think for now it is just for eligible children in our Authority, and not every group can offer it.

 

Maz

[Guest]

I think ours is CAF only but any new starters only receive 10 hours as apposed to 15 and my deputy told me it has been cut after the next term (September presumably)

[Pimms o'clock?]

Kent is the same as Happymaz, eligible families only. Criteria includes certain benefits, postcode in area of deprevation and certain settings can take children with areas of deprevation and with a "good" at least from Ofsted.

 

Its interesting to see how Local Authorities can vary criteria so much.

 

BMG

 

PS - forgot to say that its £4.85 per hour for 15 hours and the LA "expect" some engagement family with Children's Centre to support family.

Edited April 23, 2010 by BMG

[Guest]

Ours is eligible families only but I was encouraged to complete a CAF to give weight to the application. In our area the places are limited to children who have never attended anywhere and are not currently attending. I would be interested to hear if this is the case in other LAs as mine has told me this rule is from the DCSF. However they kindly bent it when I withdrew the place (with mum's agreement). For a child whose family has only just been getting by and then has circumstances change so they cannot afford the place anymore, I think it is a bad rule.

 

edit: interesting to see you get 15 hours BMG. Ours is the same rate but 10 hours. However I was just grateful I managed to secure it for this family. Oh and the setting should be good or outstanding but if our LA advisors support us and the Ofsted is some time ago we can get it with satisfactory grading.

Edited April 23, 2010 by Guest

[Guest]

Oo yes ours is £4.85 also, but only those already registered get 15 hours.

[lynned55]

Ours seem to be the same as BMG's with the engagement of CC's and the families are being 'looked after' by a PSLA Dev Worker. I think the funding is something like £6 per hour for 10 hours a week. Actually now I have put that it seems an awful lot so I think I may have made it up!! It is quite a bit more then we are getting for 3/4 year olds though.

[Cait]

Thanks all, it's interesting, isn't it. Ours is with Children's Centre involvement, and reading between the lines I interpret that to mean that the child should attend the CC, rather than be at Preschool. Could be wrong though ...

[bubblejack]

Ours is 4.85. To qualify the childs parents have to be on extra benefits first them they have to be either registered as disabled(child or parent), or take drugs or be in a violent relationship. Its all very embarassing information for parents to disclose.

[redjayne]

In Portsmouth there are only certain settings that can offer 2 year old funding ( my Setting is one of those) and the criteria tend to be children with delays/issues i.e speech or behaviour, the parents have to be on benefits ( but not Tax Credits ) and the child is at risk of not achieving thier potential without intervention. Can't recall exactly how much per hour we get but it is significantly more than the 3-4 year olds, but we have to ensure that an amount (about 10% of funding)is spent on resources for the two year olds and that my staff access compulsary training as part of the programme. We have been doing this now for 3 years and it has been successful.

[laura]

We have just joined the 2 year old pilot in Lincolnshire (we are the 29th setting). Settings have to have a teacher leader or someone with EYPS and at least a good OFSTED result.

For parents they have to be on at least one of the following:

Income support

Income-based jobseeker's allowance

child tax credit at a rate higher than the family element

extra working tax credit relating to a disability

pension credit.

 

The funding is for 10 hours a week. We must be able to signpost families to wider support. We will be given a grant of £1000 to support any children receiving the funding - eg something as simple as providing note books to go in story sacks. We will also be given resources such as story sacks to pass on to these families.

 

We only signed up on tuesday and already have 4 potential children. We have to fill in the CAF form but only certain sections. Before doing this I have to first check if there is a CAF on them. If when filling the CAF out there appear to be more needs this can be recorded in the CAF. The CAF then gets sent off. Currently there are only 171 places in Lincolnshire which are all full. But hopefully in September as some access the 3 year old funding there will be room for at least a couple of our potential children.

 

Can't remember what our funding rate is but it is £4 something.

[laura]

I meant to also say that it started out based on postcodes but they have now opened it out if you meet the criteria.