Guidance

Local authority capacity support funding

Guidance for local authorities on the local authority capacity support funding for school-age childcare.

Applies to England

Documents

Details

The Department for Education (DfE) is providing local authorities with £12.9 million of additional funding in the 2026 to 2027 financial year to support their capacity to deliver a sufficient and sustainable school-age childcare system.

The guidance sets out DfE’s expectations on how local authorities should use this funding to support the delivery and sustainability of school-age childcare through:

  • supporting the national rollout of free breakfast clubs
  • fostering links between holiday childcare and the holiday activities and food programme (HAF)

The local authority capacity support support funding is in addition to HAF administration funding.

Updates to this page

Published 17 December 2025
Last updated 20 February 2026 href="#full-history">+ show all updates
  1. Updated as MHCLG will publish the grant determination letter for the children, youth and families grant in April 2026. Added link to final local government finance settlement.

  2. First published.

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