Early Years Expansion Grant and the Childcare Expansion Capital Grant funding
Case reference FOI2025/01186
Received 18 June 2025
Published 3 July 2025
Request
FOI request – Early Years Expansion Grant (£75 million) and the Childcare expansion capital grant funding (£100 million).
Early Years Expansion Grant - £75 million
The government announced £75 million in additional funding to local authorities in 2025 to 2026 to support early years providers as they deliver the final phase of expansion to the working parent entitlements from September 2025. This funding will be distributed via the early years expansion grant which will be paid to local authorities in July 2025. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-expansion-grant-2025-to-2026
1. How much in (in £) of your local authority’s allocation under the Early years expansion grant scheme has been distributed to any eligible recipients?
2. What % of your distribution to date has gone to the following types of providers?
a. Private, Voluntary, Independent (PVI) including Childminders
b. Maintained settings including School Based Nurseries and maintained nursery schools
3. Please give any information about how you have distributed the early years expansion grant:
a. Distributed your total allocation between providers as a flat rate per-PTE, according to the number of 2-year-olds and under 2s taking up the early education entitlements in settings.
b. Used your local 2-year-old and under 2s local funding formulae to determine provider-level funding.
c. Developed a bespoke approach tailored to support specific growth needs in your area. If your answer to question 3 is C please provide information about the bespoke distribution approach.
4. Do you plan to distribute all your distribution grant fund before the end of August 2025? Yes/No
If No how much do you estimate will remain to be distributed?
Childcare expansion capital grant funding (£100 million).
The government announced £100m of capital support through the Childcare Expansion Capital Grant in autumn 2023. The fund was to support the provision of new places to support the expansion of: • 30-hours entitlement places for children aged 9-months to 3-year-olds • wraparound provision for primary school aged children https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/childcare-expansion-capital-grant-funding
1. How much (in £) of your local authority’s allocation under the Childcare Expansion Capital Grant scheme has been distributed to any eligible recipients?
2. How much (in £) of your local authority’s allocation under the Childcare Expansion Capital Grant scheme has been distributed to:
a. Private, Voluntary or Independent (PVI) providers in the early years sector
b. School based settings
c. Local authority infrastructure projects
3. Please provide a % breakdown of the distributed funds under the Childcare Expansion Capital Grant that has been spent between:
a. Children taking up an early years place through the expanded 30-hours entitlement for qualifying working parents.
b. Increasing the supply of wraparound childcare for primary-school aged children.
4. Do you plan to distribute all your distribution grant fund before the end of August 2025? Yes/No
If No how much do you estimate will remain to be distributed?
Response
FOI request – Early Years Expansion Grant (£75 million) and the Childcare expansion capital grant funding (£100 million).
Early Years Expansion Grant - £75 million
The government announced £75 million in additional funding to local authorities in 2025 to 2026 to support early years providers as they deliver the final phase of expansion to the working parent entitlements from September 2025. This funding will be distributed via the early years expansion grant which will be paid to local authorities in July 2025. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-expansion-grant-2025-to-2026
1. How much in (in £) of your local authority’s allocation under the Early years expansion grant scheme has been distributed to any eligible recipients?
Answer: This information is currently not held. The Service Area have advised they have not received any funding yet.
2. What % of your distribution to date has gone to the following types of providers?
a. Private, Voluntary, Independent (PVI) including Childminders
Answer: 100%.
b. Maintained settings including School Based Nurseries and maintained nursery schools
Answer: 0%.
3. Please give any information about how you have distributed the early years expansion grant:
a. Distributed your total allocation between providers as a flat rate per-PTE, according to the number of 2-year-olds and under 2s taking up the early education entitlements in settings.
Answer: The Service Area have advised this method will be used.
b. Used your local 2-year-old and under 2s local funding formulae to determine provider-level funding.
Answer: N/A.
c. Developed a bespoke approach tailored to support specific growth needs in your area. If your answer to question 3 is C please provide information about the bespoke distribution approach.
Answer: N/A.
4. Do you plan to distribute all your distribution grant fund before the end of August 2025? Yes/No
Answer: Yes, the Service Area have advised as soon as funding is received they will distribute as they have their allocation keys ready.
If No how much do you estimate will remain to be distributed?
Answer: N/A.
Childcare expansion capital grant funding (£100 million).
The government announced £100m of capital support through the Childcare Expansion Capital Grant in autumn 2023. The fund was to support the provision of new places to support the expansion of: • 30-hours entitlement places for children aged 9-months to 3-year-olds • wraparound provision for primary school aged children https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/childcare-expansion-capital-grant-funding
1. How much (in £) of your local authority’s allocation under the Childcare Expansion Capital Grant scheme has been distributed to any eligible recipients?
Answer: £78,567.95.
2. How much (in £) of your local authority’s allocation under the Childcare Expansion Capital Grant scheme has been distributed to:
a. Private, Voluntary or Independent (PVI) providers in the early years sector
Answer: £34,599.
b. School based settings
Answer: £43,968.95.
c. Local authority infrastructure projects
Answer: £0.
3. Please provide a % breakdown of the distributed funds under the Childcare Expansion Capital Grant that has been spent between:
a. Children taking up an early years place through the expanded 30-hours entitlement for qualifying working parents.
Answer: 78%.
b. Increasing the supply of wraparound childcare for primary-school aged children.
Answer: 22%.
4. Do you plan to distribute all your distribution grant fund before the end of August 2025? Yes/No
Answer: Yes.
If No how much do you estimate will remain to be distributed?
Answer: N/A
Documents
This is Herefordshire Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
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