Decision

This
report seeks approval of the 2024/25 Early Years Block of the
Dedicated Schools Grant for 2024/25 which covers the existing
childcare entitlements in addition to the new entitlements for
working parents of two year olds and
under two year olds from the 2024/25 financial year.
 
The
DfE has extended the number of free childcare offers available to working parents in
2024/25. There will be new working parent entitlements introduced
for 2-year-olds and children aged 9 months to 2 years during the
year. The 2-year-olds offer will be for a maximum of 15 hours per
week from 1st April 2024 and the under 2-year-olds offer for a
maximum of 15 hours per week from 1st September 2024. It is
intended that these offers will be extended further in 2025/26 to a
maximum of 30 hours per week.
 
Local authorities are required to set a local formula for both
the 2-year-old offers and the under 2s offer in the same way as it
has for 3 and 4 year olds over the past
6 years.