Issue - items at meetings - Commissioning of New and Expanded Places for Childcare Reforms

This report seeks to inform the Executive about Department for Education (DfE) capital and revenue grants to commission the creation of new places for the delivery of the childcare reforms and the approach for determining allocations. As well as, to seek approval from Executive to the overall programme spend.

Resolved:

i. Approved the capital and revenue spend to create new early years and wraparound places to deliver this ambitious government programme;

ii. Approved the use of the DfE 2023-34 Childcare Capital

Expansion grant allocation to increase the capacity of early years and wrapround provisions in York and use the Dfe Wraparound Programme revenue grant allocation to support the delivery of additional wraparound places for primary school children;

iii. Delegated authority to the Corporate Director of Children and Education, the Director of Governance and the Director of Finance to take such steps as are necessary to develop the grant allocation process, procure, award and enter into the resulting grant agreements.

Reason: To ensure the delivery of new places in line with

government expectations for the phased introduction of new early education entitlements and expansion of wraparound care.

The Assistant Director of Education and Skills introduced the report highlighting the requirement in future years for an expansion in childcare provision. She noted that the Council had received additional capital funding for early years and childcare and outlined the proposed use of this capital funding to increase provision and grow York’s local market.

The Executive Member for Children, Young People and Education outlined the positive impact of early years and child care provision had on children’s health and wellbeing.