Claiming funding
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Early education funding is claimed on a termly basis. Payments are made monthly.
To receive funding for a child, you must ensure the child and their funded hours are included on your termly headcount form.
There are three steps to the claim process. See the provider timeline for specific term dates for these steps.
How to make a funding claim
1. Submit an estimate form
Before the start of the term, you must submit an estimate form on the Education Portal. The information is used to calculate the first payments for the term. You can find out more about estimate forms online.
These payments allow providers to offer funded hours free at the point of delivery.
If the form is not submitted by the cut-off date, payments cannot be made. You will get an email when the portal is open for submissions.
2. Submit a headcount form
During the first half of the term, you must submit a headcount form on the Education Portal. This is a child-level claim and an audit of the funding received at your setting.
There is approximately a one-week window to submit this form, called the claim period. After the deadline, you cannot edit your form. The details you put on the headcount form are used to work out your final payment for the term.
You will get an email when the portal is open for submissions.
If no headcount form is submitted, any funding already paid as part of the estimate will have to be paid back, and an invoice will be issued.
3. Submit a mid-term joiner claim (if applicable)
To support government priorities, some children can be claimed for in the second half of term. This is known as a 'mid-term joiner.' This applies to children eligible for:
- 2‑year‑old funding (called 'Early Learning for 2 Year Olds')
- 3 and 4 Year Old Universal Entitlement
This is not for children who’ve already been claimed for on the termly headcount and want to change providers.
If you don't have any mid-term joiners, you don't have to do anything.
The Education Portal will open for submissions after the headcount has been approved.
Get help with submissions
If you need help with your submission, you can:
Help with specific scenarios
Claim funding for families receiving Early Learning for 2 Year Olds (EL2)
Funding is available for families receiving additional support. This is also known as Early Education for 2 Year Olds or '2-year-old funding.'
After parents or carers submit an application form, eligible families will receive a reference number. You can use this number to claim funding through the headcount form or as a mid-term joiner claim.
If it's not possible to confirm eligibility, we will work with the family to look at other criteria. You should wait until eligibility is confirmed before offering any funded hours.
Claim funding for 2-year-olds eligible for Working Parent Entitlement and Early Learning for 2 Year Olds (EL2)
Some children may be eligible for the Working Parent Entitlement and EL2. These children can access up to 30 hours per week.
They should be claimed as 15 hours Early Learning for 2 Year Olds and 15 hours Working Parent Entitlement.
Claiming Working Parent Entitlement hours
Children must not start in a Working Parent Entitlement place without a valid code. You cannot claim funding on The Education Portal without a valid code. Children cannot start a new place if their code is in the grace period.
You can read our guidance for delivering the Working Parent Entitlement for more information.
Children joining after headcount submission
Once the headcount form is submitted, you can’t make any more funding claims for that term, except for mid‑term joiners.
Funding isn’t adjusted during the term. If a child isn’t on the headcount, they can only be claimed from the start of the next term (terms begin on 1 January, 1 April, and 1 September).
Children joining from a different local authority
If a child joins a Trafford provider on or before headcount day, they can be included on the headcount form.
Email the team at early.education@trafford.gov.uk if you have any children joining from another local authority after headcount day.
Children leaving
If a child was at the setting on headcount day and is included on the headcount form, the provider gets the funding for that term.
If the child moves to a different setting after headcount day, the current and previous providers can agree between themselves to transfer the funding.
The Early Years Service doesn’t administer funding changes within the term.