1 Overview
Early Years Funded Entitlement (EYFE) is government funding allowing all eligible children to access high-quality funded early years education and childcare. It is available regardless of their individual needs or their citizenship status.
EYFE hours are available at eligible childminders, pre-schools and day nurseries (along with some out of school clubs and holiday playschemes that meet extra criteria).
2 How and when you can access EYFE
In West Sussex, funded childcare provided by the government is referred to as the Early Years Funded Entitlements (EYFE). When and how your child can access EYFE will depend on whether the child and/or your family meet eligibility criteria.
Children aged between 9 months and 2 years
Children can access EYFE for Working Families from the term after they turn 9 months old if your family meet the criteria for EYFE for Working Families. You can view eligibility criteria and how to apply by visiting our Early Years Funded Entitlement for Working Families page.
If approved, your child can access up to 15 EYFE hours per week. This will increase to up to 30 hours per week from September 2025.
A child born on or between | Will turn 9 months old on or between | Will be of eligible age at the start of the term beginning in |
---|---|---|
1 April and 30 June | 1 January and 31 March | April after turning 9 months old |
1 July and 30 November | 1 April and 31 August | September after turning 9 months old |
1 December and 31 March | 1 September and 31 December | January after turning 9 months old |
Children aged 2 years
2 year olds can access EYFE for Working Families for up to 15 hours per week (increasing to 30 hours from September 2025). Visit our EYFE for Working Families page to find out more. If your child was eligible for EYFE for Working Families between 9 months and 2 years, your child can continue to access EYFE for Working Families after turning 2 years old if your eligibility code is renewed.
2 year old Local Authority Issued EYFE is available for children and families who meet different criteria. They could access up to 15 hours EYFE per week from the term after they turn 2 if they are eligible. Visit our 2 year old Local Authority Issued Early Years Funded Entitlement page to find out more.
You cannot currently access both EYFE for working families and 2 year old LA Issued EYFE at the same time.
A child born on or between | Will be of eligible age at the start of the term beginning in |
---|---|
1 April to 31 August | September after their second birthday |
1 September to 31 December | January after their second birthday |
1 January to 31 March | April after their second birthday |
Children aged 3 years to statutory school age
All children, regardless of individual needs and citizenship, can access up to 15 hours of Universal EYFE per week from the term after they turn 3 years old. No application is needed.
If the child is eligible for EYFE for Working Families, they can also access 3 and 4 year old Extended EYFE. This provides up to 15 additional EYFE hours on top of the Universal EYFE, totalling up to 30 funded hours per week.
A child born on or between | Will be of eligible age at the start of the term beginning in |
---|---|
1 April to 31 August | September after their third birthday |
1 September to 31 December | January after their third birthday |
1 January to 31 March | April after their third birthday |
The benefits for children and families accessing EYFE
Children naturally learn by playing, exploring their world, being creative and finding things out. As a parent, you have the biggest impact on your child’s education. The activities you do at home with your child are key to helping them learn and develop.
Research* has shown that children who also attend a high-quality childcare provider improve their all-round development and are predicted better grades as they progress through school. Parents often say their children benefit by:
- having fun, improving social skills and making new friends
- experiencing new activities and learning new things
- building their confidence and independence
- encouraging their imagination and creativity
- developing skills that help them with writing later on
- learning to share, take turns and listen
- being ready for school
EYFE hours also enables parents to:
- start, go back to, or increase their hours at work
- undertake training and gain qualifications
- volunteer
- spend time with younger siblings
- continue with caring responsibilities
- know that they are giving their child a good start to their education
A high-quality provider offers a wide range of opportunities for your child to learn as they play.
*Effective Pre-school, Primary and Secondary Education [EPPSE] and OECD (2017), Starting Strong 2017: Key OECD Indicators on Early Childhood Education and Care.
3 Finding childcare and claiming EYFE
Once you know your child is eligible and funding has been awarded for either 2 year old LA issued EYFE or EYFE for working Families, visit our Family Information Service page to search for local providers that offer EYFE places.
If you need any help, contact the Family Information Service. Providers must be eligible and registered with the West Sussex County Council (WSCC) EYFE scheme by agreeing to WSCC’s EYFE provider declaration.
You can visit our childcare options page for suggestions to help you find the best type of childcare for your child.
Accessing EYFE with your chosen provider
For your chosen provider to claim EYFE funding for your child’s place, you will be asked to:
- complete and sign a parent declaration form
- show proof of date of birth for your child
- provide proof of eligibility:
- for EYFE for working Families, you will need to provide your eligibility code and National Insurance number
- for 2 year old LA issued EYFE, you will need to provide the letter confirming approval issued by WSCC (or your own local authority if you do no not live within West Sussex)
- no eligibility code is required to access 3 and 4 year old Universal EYFE
The provider may also ask for permission to use the above information to assess if your child is eligible for Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) and Disability Access Fund (DAF).
Make sure you understand and agree to any terms and conditions before you accept a place. Your provider must provide access to their relevant policy documents, including:
- an admissions policy
- funding and fees details/policy
- DAF and EYPP policies
If you wish to view any of the following policies or documents, ask your provider:
- a sample invoice
- behaviour management/social development
- equal opportunities
- safeguarding
- sickness
- insurance cover
- registration certificate
Not all providers will be able to deliver your preferred days and hours. The flexibility you need may be achieved by using more than one provider. Your child cannot access EYFE on more than 2 sites in one day. You must let the provider know if you intend to split the EYFE across more than one provider.
Headcount day is the cut-off date for when you can start attending or make amendments to the number of EYFE hours your child attends that term. It is important to know when headcount day is, as your child must be in attendance by this date to access the EYFE hours that term.
Children awarded 2 year old Local Authority Issued EYFE can start at any point during a term. All other children claiming EYFE during that term must attend their chosen provider by headcount day, unless there is an exceptional reason. Speak to your chosen provider for more information.
4 How EYFE works
The number of funded hours is subject to the following limitations:
- no more than 10 hours per day, and hours cannot be used before 6am and after 8pm
- no more than 15 hours per week (or 30 hours for children accessing Extended EYFE for Working Families*)
- no more than 570 hours per year (or 1,140 hours for children accessing Extended EYFE for Working Families*)
- EYFE can be accessed at a maximum of 2 sites in a single day
- where possible, providers must ensure children are able to take up their EYFE in continuous blocks of time and avoid artificial breaks in the day
*From September 2025, any child eligible for EYFE for Working Families will also be able to access up to 1,140 hours per year from the term after they turn 9 months old.
If your child accesses the maximum hours per week, 15 hours, or 30 if eligible, you can access these over a maximum of 38 weeks per year. This would be equal to the maximum of 570 hours (or 1,140 if eligible).
Some providers are open year-round and may offer parents the flexibility to stretch EYFE hours across the whole year. This flexibility reduces the number of hours available each week so that you do not exceed the yearly maximum allowed. This is called ‘stretched funding’. This means that the maximum hours you would be able to access per week would reduce. Some examples are listed below:
- 38 weeks: Up to 15 hours per week (570 hours per year)
- 45 weeks: Up to 12.5 hours per week (562.5 hours per year)
- 51 weeks: Up to 11 hours per week (561 hours per year)
For children eligible for up to 30 hours, the above weekly hours double. You should discuss stretched funding options with your provider as not all providers may offer this flexibility.
A limited number of providers may be open for less than 38 weeks. This may mean you would be unable to access the full 570 hours (or 1,140 hours if applicable) if solely using this provider.
It is important to discuss the pattern of delivery with your chosen provider(s). You should be aware how your chosen provider claims and delivers EYFE. They should make you aware of any potential loss of EYFE hours.
Providers may close for Bank Holidays or Inset Days. If they do, any EYFE hours should be offered at another time if possible.
Legally all children must start full-time education (usually in school) no later than the term after they turn 5 years old. Whenever your child starts in a school Reception Class, whether on a full or part-time basis, they can no longer receive EYFE. For further information about applying for a school place please visit the school places webpage.
5 Payments and costs
EYFE is funding to allow eligible children to access education and care at a provider which is delivered free of charge. Providers must ensure that there are no conditions of accessing EYFE, including:
- no registration/administration/sustainability fees, payment up front or non-refundable deposits for children accessing EYFE hours only
- no requirement for a child to access additional hours on top of the EYFE hours
- no requirement for the child to access additional weeks on top of the funded weeks
- no requirement to pay fees for any additional services. These include food, trips and consumables
If your child accesses hours or weeks outside of EYFE, providers may charge for these. This may also mean you need to pay registration and administration fees or non-refundable deposits. See the provider’s fees policy for further information.
It must not be compulsory for parents and carers to pay for food and consumables such as nappies or sun cream and for services such as trips and yoga to access EYFE hours. These charges must be optional. Providers who choose to offer EYFE are responsible for setting their own policy on providing parents with options for alternatives to additional charges. This includes allowing parents to supply their own meals or nappies, or waiving or reducing the cost of meals and snacks.
The EYFE does not have a monetary value and is not a voucher or parental subsidy. Providers must not deduct the amount of funding they receive from your invoice.
Childcare providers can set their own rates for additional hours or services. However, they must let you know in advance if you will be expected to pay for anything extra. Details should be included within the provider’s admissions/pricing policy. Any voluntary contributions asked for do not have to be paid.
If you attend hours outside of your chosen providers EYFE pattern of delivery, you can expect to be charged for these hours. This may apply even if you are attending less than the maximum 15/30 EYFE hours. It is important to understand the providers pattern of delivery and what hours your child will be attending that are funded and/or non-funded.
6 Changing provider
It can be hard to balance your own needs, especially for working parents, with those of your child. However, you should aim to use your chosen provider for as long as possible. If you can, avoid moving your child every few months or term.
If you decide to change provider, EYFE follows the child if you move mid-term. Your current provider must transfer the remaining balance of funding to your new provider, after any notice period, if your new provider is in West Sussex. This can cause an unexpected loss of EYFE hours due to the differences between the pattern of delivery for different providers. If changing to a provider in another county, your new provider must seek funding from their own local authority.
You should check with the provider what their notice period is. This should be explained in the provider’s Admissions Policy. It is important you adhere to their notice periods to avoid any additional or unexpected charges. Following the notice period, the provider will forward any unused funding to your new provider within West Sussex. The maximum notice period for EYFE hours at West Sussex providers is 4 weeks. Additional hours that you pay for outside of your EYFE hours may have a longer notice period which you may have to pay for.
Between the beginning of term and headcount day EYFE notice periods do not apply. If your child leaves during this time, you may be expected to pay for any hours your child has attended including EYFE hours. You could also lose any refundable deposits. However, if you are accessing another West Sussex EYFE provider at headcount, this provider can claim EYFE for the full term for your child. They are then expected to transfer EYFE to your previous provider to cover EYFE hours your child accessed prior to headcount.
If you move into West Sussex after headcount, this could be considered an exceptional reason for a post-headcount EYFE claim. This would be submitted by your chosen provider.
7 Further information and support
Support for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
All providers have a legal duty to meet the needs of children, including those with SEND. You should talk to your provider about how they will work with you and how they plan to meet your child’s individual needs.
Your provider may enquire if your child is eligible for Disability Living Allowance (DLA). If your child receives DLA, your provider can claim for the Disability Access Fund (DAF), which is additional funding to aid them in making their provision accessible. It is your decision if you wish to nominate a provider your child accesses to apply for DAF, and only one application can be submitted per year on behalf of your child. You can nominate the provider when completing the EYFE Parent Declaration form and will need to provide them with a copy of the letter confirming your child is eligible for DLA. Your provider must discuss with you how they plan to use DAF if approved. Note that each child eligible for DAF can only be claimed for by one provider once per year. Find out more on our DAF web page.
In addition, providers in West Sussex can request support and guidance from WSCC to aid them in meeting the needs of all their children. Extra funding may be available to providers to support a child’s inclusion and ability to access EYFE. Providers should discuss the needs of all children with parents both before and after the child starts and continue to review this and seek support from WSCC where applicable.
Using EYFE at multiple providers
To meet your family’s needs best, you may need to use multiple providers.
Your child can access EYFE at multiple EYFE providers, including childminders, day nurseries and pre-schools. They can only access a maximum of 2 providers per day. For example, a childminder could claim for the morning and a day nursery in the afternoon
Your child would only be able to access up to 15 hours per week across all providers (or up to 30 hours if eligible). For example, your child could access 10 hours per week with one provider, and 5 hours per week at another.
If you access a provider that offers stretched funding, you should consider and discuss with your chosen providers how this will impact what the other provider can claim. This is to avoid exceeding the cap of 15 hours per week and 570 hours per year (or 30 hours per week and 1,140 hours per year if eligible).
If your child is accessing 3 and 4 year old EYFE and is eligible for EYFE for Working Families, you will need to specify how many Universal EYFE hours and how many Extended EYFE hours each provider should claim. For example, if accessing 20 hours at one provider and 10 hours at another, you can nominate one provider to claim 15 hours Universal EYFE and 5 hours Extended EYFE. You can then nominate your second provider to claim 10 hours of Extended EYFE. This is because there is a cap of 15 hours per week and 570 hours per year for Universal EYFE and Extended EYFE, which total 30 hours per week and 1,140 hours per year together.
You will need to complete a parent declaration with each provider your child accesses EYFE with. The parent declaration has a section where you must add details of what your child accesses at other providers. You will need to complete an updated parent declaration with each provider your child accesses should their attendance and/or number of EYFE hours accessed change. Even if the hours you access at one provider do not change you will need to complete an updated parent declaration for all providers.
Your child can access providers in multiple counties.
Using Tax-Free Childcare and EYFE
If your child accesses EYFE, Tax-Free Childcare can be used to reduce the cost of additional hours your child attends.
Visit our help paying for childcare web page for more information.
EYFE impact on Universal Credit
Most families will be better off claiming EYFE than paying for childcare using Universal Credit. If you are eligible for Universal Credit, you should contact HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) on 0345 300 3900 or online to check if your Universal Credit claim is affected by claiming EYFE. You can also check what help you may get with childcare costs.
Visit our help paying for childcare web page for more information on Universal Credit Childcare.
Starting EYFE hours after headcount
All children must attend their chosen childcare provider during headcount for the provider to be able to claim EYFE for the term.
However, in exceptional circumstances childcare providers can still claim funding for children who start after headcount day. Valid exceptional circumstances include a child:
- approved for 2 year old Local Authority Issued EYFE who is not already attending a West Sussex childcare provider - children awarded EYFE under this criteria can start at any point in the term
- has moved into West Sussex after headcount
- with an additional need whose start with a provider has been supported by a professional such as a GP, portage, speech and language therapist and health visitor
- of parents/carers who are returning from maternity/paternity/adoption leave and claiming EYFE for Working Families - the code must be eligible and must have been applied for on or before 31 of December, March or August. For the code to be valid the parent/carer must be returning to work before:
- 31 January for spring term
- 30 April for summer term
- 30 September for autumn term
When discussing when your child can begin accessing EYFE with your chosen provider, you should make them aware of any exceptional circumstances which may allow your child to begin accessing sooner than the following term.
How Ofsted inspections impact EYFE
If a childcare provider receives an 'inadequate' or 'not met” rating from Ofsted, they cannot apply for funding for new children claiming EYFE. This means even if you are already accessing privately paid for hours at a provider who receives one of these ratings, you will not be able to claim EYFE with this provider. However, they can still get funding for children they are already claiming for.
If a childcare provider receives a 'requires improvement' rating, they cannot apply for funding for new children awarded 2 year old LA Issued EYFE. This means that if you are already accessing privately paid for hours and become eligible for 2 year old LA Issued EYFE, you will not be able to claim EYFE with this provider.
These restrictions are due to statutory guidance from the government. You can still access privately paid for hours. The restrictions will be removed if the provider's Ofsted rating improves to 'requires improvement' or above. This only applies to Universal EYFE and EYFE for Working Families. Restrictions on 2 year old LA Issued EYFE will only be lifted once the provider is rated as 'met', 'good' or 'outstanding'. These restrictions are all removed only once the improved outcomes are published by Ofsted.
8 Contact information
If you need help or any further information, contact us using the details below.