Guidance

School-ageLocal childcareauthority sufficiencycapacity support funding

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

From:
Department for Education
Published
17 December 2025
Last updated
2620 MarchFebruary 2026 — See all updates

Applies to England

Documents

School-age childcare sufficiency (including local authority capacity funding 2026 to 2027)guidance

PDFHTML, 1.12 MB, 35 pages

Details

ThisThe guidanceDepartment is for allEducation (DfE) is providing local authorities with £12.9 million of additional funding in England.

Localthe authority2026 to 2027 financial year to support their capacity to deliver a sufficient and sustainable school-age childcare leadssystem.

The andguidance othersets colleaguesout workingDfE’s expectations on childcare-relatedhow activitieslocal authorities should use this guidancefunding whento securingsupport the delivery and deliveringsustainability of school-age childcare inthrough:

  • supporting theirthe area.national Thisrollout includesof colleaguesfree workingbreakfast in:

      clubs
    • fostering links between holiday childcare and the holiday activities and food programme (HAF)
    • the

    The freelocal breakfastauthority clubscapacity programme

  • wraparoundsupport childcare
funding is in addition to HAF administration funding.

Updates to this page

Published 17 December 2025
Last updated 2620 MarchFebruary 2026 + show all updates

  1. Replaced 'School-age childcare local authority capacity funding guidance' with 'School-age childcare sufficiency (including local authority capacity funding 2026 to 2027)'.

  2. 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.

  3. First published.

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