Early Years Funding
To become accredited to deliver the early years funding it is a requirement that the provider has a Good, Outstanding or Met judgement from OFSTED (or a Childminding Agency equivalent judgement). If you have been inspected under the new OFSTED framework (from November 2025) the judgements required, will be Expected Standard or above. Newly registered providers, those who have not yet had an inspection, or those with no children on roll can still apply to be accredited.
Providers wishing to become accredited to deliver funding are requested to email child.care@croydon.gov.uk to ask for an application pack. Applicants are required to complete Annex C of the Provider Agreement and email it to child.care@croydon.gov.uk along with their current Inclusion, Safeguarding and SEND policies. Providers are required to ensure that information regarding PREVENT duty, Croydon specific pathways for Safeguarding and SEND referrals, are included in these policies, along with how the provider promotes the Fundamental British Values in their practice.
Once all completed forms and policies have been satisfactory received, the team will set the applicant up to deliver funding. If there are some areas that the team feel has not been covered, or are not clear, they may ask to meet with the applicant via Microsoft teams for an informal chat about the application and funding offer to gain the required information.
Early Years Funding streams
The government fund three separate streams of early years funding:
- Working Family Childcare: Up to 30 hours funding is available for eligible working families in England with a child between 9 months and 4 years old. Each parent must earn at least the equivalent of 16 hours/week at national minimum wage but under £100,000 adjusted net income per year. Early Education Childcare is funded for 38 weeks per year.
- 2-year old funding for families Receiving Specific Forms of Additional Support: 2-year-old funding for families receiving specific forms of additional support is criteria based and for families in receipt of benefits or on low income; children who are Looked After or adopted; children in receipt of Disability Living Allowance or have an Education Health and Care Plan. Families applying under these criteria can do so online at 2YO Checker
- Universal 3 - & 4-year-old - funding: To claim the universal entitlement for 3 and 4-year olds, parents simply need to show the setting the child's birth certificate and proof of address.
Further details on these funding types and how parents can apply can be found on the Best Start In Life Website
Early Years Pupil Premium is a supplement a setting may be able to claim, for eligible children from families on a low income and in receipt of benefits, or if the child is Looked After or adopted. If a child is in receipt of Disability Living Allowance then the setting can apply for an annual payment via the Disability Access Fund (DAF).