Freedom of information response
Local Authority provider payments, capital grants and childcare sufficiency assessments
Provider payments:
1. What is the current timeframe for financial year 2024/25 on which you pay childcare providers for the delivery of funded early education and childcare places? (ie. Do you currently pay providers monthly, termly, offer a choice or use a different timeframe?
· Monthly
· Termly
· Mix/Provider choice
· Other approach
2. If you pay termly do you split the funding, please provide details of how this is done? (eg 75% at the start of term and 25% towards the end?)
3. If you pay termly, when in the term do you make the first payment to providers?
Within the first two weeks
Within weeks 2-4
Within weeks 4-6
After week 6
4. If you pay monthly, when in the month do you make the payment to providers?
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
5. Have you consulted with providers in the last two years on how you make payments to them for the delivery of
funded early education and childcare places?
Yes
No
Currently running or planning consultation
Capital Grants:
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
6. How much (in £) was your local authority’s allocation from central government under the Childcare Expansion Capital Grant scheme?
7. How much (in £) of your local authority’s allocation under the Childcare Expansion Capital Grant scheme has been distributed to any eligible recipients?
8. 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 providers in the early years sector
b. School based settings
c. Local authority infrastructure projects
9. Please provide a % breakdown of the distributed funds under the Childcare Expansion Capital Grant 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.
Childcare Sufficiency Assessments:
10. Have you completed a Childcare Sufficiency Assessments in the last two years? Please provide a copy of this CSA report.
Provider payments:
1. What is the current timeframe for financial year 2024/25 on which you pay childcare providers for the delivery of funded early education and childcare places? (ie. Do you currently pay providers monthly, termly, offer a choice or use a different timeframe?
· Monthly
· Termly
· Mix/Provider choice
· Other approach
Providers have a choice. Most take termly payments but some do take the option of monthly.
2. If you pay termly do you split the funding, please provide details of how this is done? (eg 75% at the start of term and 25% towards the end?)
We pay 73% then 27%.
3. If you pay termly, when in the term do you make the first payment to providers?
Within weeks 4-6
4. If you pay monthly, when in the month do you make the payment to providers?
Week 4
5. Have you consulted with providers in the last two years on how you make payments to them for the delivery of funded early education and childcare places?
Yes
Currently running or planning consultation
Capital Grants:
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
6. How much (in £) was your local authority’s allocation from central government under the Childcare Expansion Capital Grant scheme? £361.795.00
7. How much (in £) of your local authority’s allocation under the Childcare Expansion Capital Grant scheme has been distributed to any eligible recipients? £47850.00
8. 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 providers in the early years sector £47850.00
b. School based settings £0.00
c. Local authority infrastructure projects £0.00
9. Please provide a % breakdown of the distributed funds under the Childcare Expansion Capital Grant has been spent between:
a. Children taking up an early years place through the expanded 30-hours entitlement for qualifying working parents 100%
b. Increasing the supply of wraparound childcare for primary-school aged children. 0%
Childcare Sufficiency Assessments:
10. Have you completed a Childcare Sufficiency Assessments in the last two years? Please provide a copy of this CSA report. Childcare sufficiency assessment | Childcare information and advice | Thurrock Council