Alliance launches funding rate database to help providers plan
Thursday, February 2, 2017
A new online database developed by the Pre-school Learning Alliance aims to help settings prepare for the new early years national funding formula.
The EYNFF is the biggest change in recent years to the way the sector is funded to enable settings to offer parents free childcare places.
While the Government has confirmed the final funding rates that each local authority will receive many providers still do not know what rate they will be receiving from April for 2017/18.
Early years settings can check the confirmed or proposed rate for three- and four-year-olds in their area by picking their local authority from a drop-down menu at www.pre-school.org.uk/EYNFF.
The Alliance has contacted each local authority in England to ask for details of confirmed or proposed funding rates and will be updating the database on an ongoing basis.
The database replaces the Alliance's funding calculator, which estimated local authority rates based on previous funding.
Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Pre-school Learning Alliance, said, ‘The recent changes to the way early years funding works in this county are some of the most significant that the sector has faced in recent years – and yet, with just a few months to go until the new funding rules are implemented, many providers are still in the dark about what is likely to happen to their rates, making it impossible to plan or budget properly.
‘We’re committed to supporting both our members and the wider sector, and we hope that this database will be a useful source of information and clarity for those that need it.’
Shannon Hawthorne, Alliance press and public affairs director, said, ‘We know that in, some areas, information on proposed rates has been less than forthcoming and so we wanted to publish the database sooner rather than later so that where this information is available, it would be more easily accessible.
‘With over 150 local authorities, all at different stages of implementing their new local funding formulas, the database is inevitably an ongoing piece of work but one that we’ll be looking to update regularly as and when new information on formulas or rates become available.’
