Providing the Early Years Free Entitlement (EYFE) for two year olds

Information for childcare providers about providing the Early Years Free Entitlement (EYFE) for two year olds.

From September 2013 free childcare has been available for eligible two year olds. 

Information for parents or carers about the scheme can be found on the Family Information Service free childcare for two year olds parents and carers information page.

For information about Early Years Free Entitlement for 3 and 4 year olds please go to providing the Early Years Free Entitlement (EYFE) for three and four year olds pages.

Information for providers

The latest statutory guidance from the Department for Education (331KB) came into force from 8 September 2014.

Information for providers including which children are eligible, how settings can become part of the scheme, how to check a child’s eligibility and what to do when you have agreed a free place with a parent can be found in links and downloads below.

What is the Early Years Free Entitlement (EYFE) for two year olds

A free childcare place is a statutory entitlement for all eligible two year olds. Information about  eligibility criteria is available on the Family Information Service page Free childcare for two year olds .  The childcare can start from the term after the child’s second birthday and like the EYFE for three and  four year olds, is for 15 hours a week, 38 weeks a year, or 570 hours if the childcare if taken all year round.  There is also a leaflet for parents which explains the entitlement.

Further detailed information for providers can be found in PART B of the EYFE Provider Agreement September 2016 (PDF106KB)

Who can offer EYFE for two year olds

Please see  Section D 'Quality requirements' in the  EYFE Provider Agreement September 2016 (PDF106KB)  but you must

  • deliver the full Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum and be registered with Ofsted as an Early Years Provider.
  • have a good or outstanding Ofsted inspection judgement
  • you may have a satisfactory/requires improvement judgement and be in an area of Brighton and Hove where, in the opinion of Brighton and Hove City Council and in accordance with place availability and demand, there is not sufficient accessible good or outstanding provision for two year olds.  You must also be able to show the council that you have addressed concerns raised by the Ofsted inspection.
  • you must be registered with the council City Early Years and Childcare (CEYC) to offer the EYFE for two year olds (see below)

How to register to provide EYFE for two year olds

You should then return the completed documents together with your Safeguarding (Child Protection) and Inclusion (SEN) Policies to the CEYC team at:

City Early Years and Childcare (CEYC)

Brighton & Hove City Council

3rd Floor

King's House

Hove

BN3 2LS.

Once all the above has been checked and agreed by CEYC, a Provider Contract will be forwarded for you to sign and return and your setting can then offer EYFE for two year olds, and you can claim the funding.​

How to claim EYFE funding for two year olds

Newly registered providers need to complete an EYFE provider details form (PDF 74KB) form and return to the address given.

Eligible 2 year olds are entitled to up to fifteen hours a week for 38 weeks per year (term-time) or stretched to 570 hours if the child attends year round.  EYFE hours shown over 38 and 52 weeks (PDF 9KB) shows you the maximum funded hours that can be claimed each term, and EYFE weeks 2017- 2018 (PDF 139KB) shows you how EYFE is spread across the year, according to how many hours the child is receiving each week.  This is the Privacy Notice Form (PDF 81KB) for providers to use to explain  to parents/carers about how you comply with the Data Protection requirements when dealing with information about their children.

Funding is paid to providers termly, in two instalments.  The first instalment is based on the total estimated EYFE hours for that term.  For EYFE for two year olds the estimate is based on information providers give to the council the previous term about eligible children attending or starting with them, the  payment is 75% of the total estimated EYFE hours.  The second instalment is based on actual EYFE hours as submitted to the council in the termly headcount. This balancing payment is made after half term, enabling any adjustments to be made ie. if estimate and headcount hours differ.    We use a web-based system, the Synergy on-line Provider Portal for all EYFE providers to submit their termly headcount information

 Below are links to further documents and information for providers offering EYFE

Contact Us

City Early Years and Childcare (CEYC): jenny.perrin@brighton-hove.gcsx.gov.uk  

Early Years Finance  email: earlyyearsfinance@brighton-hove.gov.uk

For information about EYFE for 3 and 4 year olds please go to providing the Early Years Free Entitlement (EYFE) for three and four year olds.