The DfE has published
Early education and childcare statutory guidance 2025.
This document provides updated guidance to early years settings that provide funded places for children.
The changes have been prompted due to a high court ruling in February this year which now means the updates will be implemented from 1 April 2025.
Additional charges: Parents can opt in or out
Parents are now able to able opt in or out of paying for additional charges relating to the provision of a funded place; this includes the provision of meals, consumables, which has been defined as nappies, suncream, and any other activities that are delivered over and above the expected provision of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), such as dance classes, yoga, etc.
Invoices must be transparent and itemise the above charges. For parents that choose to opt out and take a fully free funded place, it must be made clear that they are not required to pay these charges and that alternative solutions for their child will be provided. The local authority must ensure all settings have this in place by January 2026.
Meals and manging allergies
Each setting is expected to have a lunchbox policy where this is appropriate, and to adhere to the expected standards of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) with regards to managing allergies in the setting. Parents that choose not to pay for a meal provided for their child should be provided with an alternative such as brining their own food to the setting. We have been advised that further guidance will be added to the EYFS regarding allergy management in September 2025.
The local authority must ensure all settings that provide funded spaces publish their charges on either their own website or, where this is not possible, the Ealing Families Directory website by January 2026.
Applies to all funding streams
Parents must not be expected to pay any additional charges as a condition of taking up their free funded place. This applies to all funding streams including:
- 3 and 4-year-old Nursery Education Grant Funding (NEG)
- disadvantaged 2-year-old funding
- working funding entitlements for children aged from 9mths-4 years.
Providers are still able to charge for any additional hours that the child attends that are over and above the 15 or 30 hours funding they receive.
Further information to follow
There will be further information to follow including an updated parental agreement and updated terms and conditions of funding for providers.
It is anticipated that the terms and conditions of funding will be in place by September 2025 as it is important the changes are reflected in our agreement and it is acknowledged that we need to support providers to implement these changes in the first instance.
It is important that we develop this process together to ensure children are still accessing their funded places and parents and providers have all the information they need.