Funded Early Learning and Childcare

Descriptions

The Council requires providers to deliver funded early learning and childcare places to Eligible Children. The Council’s primary objective at all times is to ensure a consistent standard of service provision across the local authority area in line with the National Standard set by Scottish Government. Full details of this can be found at https://www.gov.scot/publications/funding-follows-child-national-standard-early-learning-childcare-providers-principles-practice/ The early learning and childcare will be delivered to an Eligible Child over a minimum period of 38 weeks per School Year (or a pro rata number of weeks where eligibility is only for part of that School Year). For each week in which early learning and childcare is delivered to an Eligible Child, a maximum of 10 hours will be delivered per day, up to a maximum of 30 hours per week. There are no minimum hours required per day or week. The Council requires the Provider to consider the best interest of the child when setting a minimum number of hours per day or week in its Service Delivery Model. Food provided to Eligible Children in the course of delivery of the early learning and childcare includes all meals and snacks. A maximum of 2 payments for food will be made per day, up to a maximum of 5 payments per week. Quality Assurance and Monitoring undertaken will be in line with the criteria detailed in the National Standard, and contained within any other relevant guidance issued by the Council. The Provider will maintain the minimum standards set within the criteria throughout the duration of the contract. The Provider will comply in full with any monitoring and evaluation requirements of the Council, and within the timeframes determined by the Council. This includes, but is not limited to, submission of Monitoring Reports, Annual Accounts, compliance with Monitoring/Progress Visits and any resulting Action Plans from these visits.