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Alliance files FOI request amid concerns over childcare funding inconsistencies

Funding Provision
The Early Years Alliance has filed a Freedom of Information request to local authorities in England amid concerns they are disregarding DfE guidance and refusing to fund providers at autumn 2019 levels.
The Early Years Alliance says it has received numerous reports of councils not adhering to the DfE’s funding recommendations
The Early Years Alliance says it has received numerous reports of councils not adhering to the DfE’s funding recommendations

Last month, the Department for Education (DfE) confirmed it would be funding councils in England based on the January 2020 census rather than the January 2021 headcount as would have been normal practice. It said this was to ‘reflect the fact that the number of children in childcare might not have returned to normal levels by early January.’

It also stated that local authorities should continue to fund providers that are open at ‘broadly the levels they would have expected to see in the 2020 autumn term had there been no Covid-19 outbreak. Also, that ‘local authorities might, for example, use the numbers of children in places in the previous autumn to inform funding levels for this autumn.’

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