Walsall FIS offers up-to-date information,
advice and help on services for families in Walsall.
Headcount Day: Thursday, 18th January 2024
The table below shows the weeks you will be funded for this funding period.
Funding Week | Week Commencing |
Week 1 | 08/01/2024 |
Week 2 | 15/01/2024 |
Week 3 | 22/01/2024 |
Week 4 | 29/01/2024 |
Week 5 | 05/02/2024 |
Week 6 | 19/02/2024 |
Week 7 | 26/02/2024 |
Week 8 | 04/03/2024 |
Week 9 | 11/03/2024 |
Week 10 | 18/03/2024 |
If you need to view the current funding timetable, you can download it here: Funding Timetable 2023 - 2024
You can now find a straight forward explanation of all government childcare support on the new Childcare Choices website: www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
Childcare Choices brings all the government childcare offers together for the first time, providing a simple way of seeing which schemes are available, with easy next steps to where you can find out more.
Using the website’s Childcare Calculator, you can quickly find out which of the offers are available to you and choose what works best for your family: www.gov.uk/childcare-calculator
What is available through the childcare service?
30 hours childcare for three and four year olds is now available in England. This doubles the existing 15 hours currently available and could save working families up to £5,000 a year.
Parents will be able to check their eligibility and apply now using the online childcare calculator and, if eligible, submit an online application ahead of September. Once signed up, parents will receive an eligibility code to take to their childcare provider. Childcare providers will then check the code with their local authority. If eligible, parents can book their 30 hours place.
Here is a link to the online Childcare Service: https://childcare-support.tax.service.gov.uk/par/app/applynow
We have created a toolkit to provide you with all the information you need to know on Childcare Choices. This includes some suggested materials to help you spread the word to parents and staff: http://transfer.23red.com/public/files/3u3k-88mqpoco
Included in the toolkit you will find:
The Department for Education published the operational guidance to support the delivery of the 30 hours extended entitlement. The guidance can be found here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/30-hours-free-childcare-la-and-early-years-provider-guide. This builds on the statutory guidance and is intended to support local authorities and providers understand in more detail the Department of Education’s expectations about how the free entitlements should be delivered.
For more information please contact your School Ready Improvement Officer. Alternatively, see the below question and answer sheet.