Childcare funding for children with special educational needs and disabilities
All children are entitled to be included and supported in childcare settings. Parents and carers should be able to find a suitable, local provider that is able to meet their child's needs.
Providers must have arrangements in place to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). These arrangements should include a clear approach to identifying and responding to SEND.
Your child will be entitled to up to 15 hours a week of funded childcare from the term after their second birthday if:
- Your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)
- or receives Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
If your child doesn't have an EHCP or receive DLA, there are other criteria that might mean your 2 year old is eligible to 15 hours of early education funding. Find out more on our help with childcare costs page.
All children are eligible for 15 hours of funded early education per week from the term after their third birthday. Find out more on our funded early education for 3 and 4 year olds page.
Where a child with SEND attends a specialist setting, the funded hours must be allocated to these settings first before they are used with another setting. If a child attends a specialist setting for less than their funded entitlement, children will be able to receive their remaining hours at any other funded setting.
You should not be charged for the funded hours. Some childcare providers offer funded hours at specific times and many providers charge for extra services (for example lunch, nappies, and specific additional activities). The cost of these extra services should be clear and transparent to parents.
Disability Access Fund
If your 3 or 4 year old is in receipt of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) then your childcare provider can access a Disability Access Fund. This is £910 per year that goes to the childcare provider of your choice to enable them to meet your child's needs. You will need to say on your parent declaration form that your child receives DLA and provide a copy of the DLA letter to your provider as proof. If you are using more than one provider, you must decide which receives the fund (it can only go to one provider).
Early years support for younger children
Herefordshire Early Years SEND team works with early years and childcare settings in Herefordshire to ensure all children access high quality early years education and care to support individual children to achieve their maximum potential in learning and development.
Find out more about the Early Years Inclusion Team and teaching children with SEN and disability
There is more information about childcare for children with special educational needs and disabilities on the Talk Community website and also see our early years and childcare for children with special educational needs and disabilities section in our local offer.