Early Years and Childcare: Local Authority Developing Practice – Pathfinders Implementation Toolkit Step 4: Delivery, Communication and Funding

This Toolkit Step 4, the last in a series of four, is to support local authorities to deliver the extended flexible free entitlement for early years provision by focusing on active engagement and consultation with providers; effective communication with parents, and exploring funding options.

Implementing the free entitlement explores how local authorities are working towards the requirement to ensure that from 2010 the parents of all three and four year olds have free access to 15 hours per week flexible early years provision.

The changes to the extended free entitlement are being rolled out gradually across the country. 20 pathfinder authorities will implement the new system from April 2007. This group will be joined by a further 14 local authorities from September 2008. Two streams of funding are available to pathfinders over 2008-11 to implement a more flexible free entitlement offer:
- revenue funding through the Standards Fund
- capital funding through the GSSG

The toolkit can be used in order, or selected according to need:

Toolkit Step 1 Project Planning (select to access contents)

Toolkit Step 2 Assessing Demand (select to access contents)

Toolkit Step 3 Engaging with Schools (select to access contents)

Toolkit Step 4 Delivering Flexibility and Communicating with Parents

Contents of Toolkit Step 4 - Delivery, Communication with Parents and Funding

• Delivering Flexibility Case Study
  A case study describing the steps taken in Slough to engage with providers; bringing them on board with the extended free entitlement and delivering greater flexibility to meet parental needs.
  
  
• Parent Declaration
  You may want to consider parents having 'contracts' with providers which set out the flexible pattern of provision that they are signing up for so that all parties are clear about the flexible offer. An example from Telford & Wrekin is provided.
  
  
• Funding Flexibility Tables (x3)
  Three documents offering examples of how pathfinders have incentivised flexibility in their authority using their funding allocation and previous capital grants.