Last week in her response to the Department for Education and Skills'Consultation on school, early years and 14-16 funding 2008-11,children's minister Beverley Hughes announced sweeping changes to theway early years free entitlement is funded.
These included plans to create a simplified, single funding formula tolaunch in 2010/11 and coincide with the extension of the current freeentitlement for three- and four-year-olds from 12 to 15 hours.
The measures also include an extension of school forums to includeprivate and voluntary sector nurseries, with the aim of giving them astronger voice in funding decisions.
In addition, Hughes has unveiled a detailed timetable gearing up to theextension in free entitlement. This includes guidance for councils tocarry out an assessment of future funding costs next year, and arequirement to count children in maintained, private and voluntarysettings on the same basis from 2009/10.
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