Purpose

In the Spring 2023, the
Department for Education (DfE) announced transformative reforms
to childcare, including the introduction of additional free
entitlements that would provide 30 hours of free childcare for
children over the age of nine months. This was to be introduced in
a phased approach between April 2024 and September 2025 as set out
in section 1.
 
The national wraparound childcare programme is
also part of the childcare expansion plan announced at the Spring
2023 Budget. The ambition is that by 2026, all parents and carers
of primary school-aged children who need it will be able to access
term time childcare in their local area from 8am-6pm, so that
parents have the opportunity to access employment and improve
labour market participation. Parents will be required to pay to
access this care.?
 
The DfE recognised that there would be a need
to undertake capital works across each local authority area to
enable delivery of both the additional free entitlements and
wraparound childcare programme. Therefore, in
November 2023, the DfE announced the Childcare Expansion
Capital Grant funding allocations for each local authority; West
Sussex County Council received an allocation of
£1,872,121. 
 
The DfE set out requirements which need to be
met in the allocation of the capital funding, indicating what local
authorities can spend the funding on and issues authorities should
consider to achieve best outcomes.
 
A Needs Analysis has been undertaken by the
County Council’s Early Years Team to identify areas of the
County where the current supply of places does not meet anticipated
demand. Expressions of interest were invited from all providers to
bid for an allocation of funding from the capital grant to assist
in delivery of additional childcare places and the wraparound
programme with bids encouraged to focus on areas where there is a
shortfall of places.
 
Following assessment of these bids approval is
now sought to distribute funding to the projects that would
contribute to enabling the County Council to meet the objectives
set out in the Childcare Expansion Plan.  The money to be distributed to the successful
bidders will not use the full grant funding allocation.  Therefore, further applications are being invited
for the Childcare Expansion Capital Grant Funding to support the
creation of additional early years and wraparound childcare places
for September 2025.

Decision

The Cabinet Member for Children and Young
People, Learning and Skills has approved:

(1) The allocation of
Childcare Expansion Capital Grant funding to the projects
identified in Appendix A up to a total value of £429,028;

(2) The delegation of
authority to the Assistant Director (Education and Skills) to agree
the remainder of the projects to be delivered through the Childcare
Expansion Capital Grant up to the total grant of £1,872,121;
and

(3) The delegation of
authority to the Assistant Director (Education and Skills) to
passport the grant funding to each of the successful providers.

(4) The delegation of
authority to the Director of Law and Assurance to negotiate and
agree any necessary leases, grant agreements and development and
funding agreements required with third parties.