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Choosing childcare

Early education places

Free early education for 3 and 4 year olds

Early education provides your child with the opportunity to develop and learn through well planned play activities in a safe and secure environment. This national initiative is delivered through approved childcare settings.

Starting in the term following their third birthday, children can attend up to five part-time early education sessions per week of two and a half hours each. These sessions may only be taken during school term times:

• 3rd or 4th birthday between 1 April - 31 August
  place starting in Autumn Term (September)
• 3rd or 4th birthday between 1 September - 31 December
  place starting in Spring Term (January)
• 3rd or 4th birthday between 1 January - 31 March
  place starting in Summer Term (After Easter).

How do I get these sessions?

Just follow three easy steps:

1. Ring the Calderdale Families' Information Service on 01422 253053 for a list of places where your child can take early education sessions (ie childminders, day nurseries, children's centres, pre-school playgroups or independent schools).
2. When you know where you want your child to go, ask the manager at the setting for a 'Child Joining Form'. You will need to fill in your child's details as well as when and where they would like to take their funded sessions. Make sure you do this before the start of term. Give the form back to the manager.
3. The manager at the setting will send the form in to the Families' Information Service who will allocate funding for your child's early education sessions.

Entitlement from September 2010

From September 2010 all 3 and 4 year old children will be entitled to 15 hours per week of free early education. The minimum number of hours that can be taken in any one day is 2.5 and the maximum is 10. Not all providers will offer this option and parents should check with their chosen provider. No charge can be made for any element of the free early education entitlement, but parents may purchase additional hours of childcare to suit their own individual needs.

We have recently completed a consultation with parents to establish their thoughts on the current and future entitlement and the results can be found in the report: Consultation on the extension to early education entitlement [PDF file 1186KB]|

If you would like to comment on this report please contact the Families' Information Service on 01422 253053 or by emailing fis@calderdale.gov.uk .

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