This form gives consent to providers to share a child's information with the local authority and the agreement of the number of funded hours a provider will claim on behalf of the family and the child's attendance patterns.
The completed form must be signed by the parent/ carer and childcare provider who must store it securely in line with GDPR requirements, until a time that the council may request to see it.
New parent declaration form - September 2026 to August 2027
Providers and parents need to complete the parent declaration form and signatures as soon as possible for children who will attend the provision from September 2026.
A parent declaration must also be completed for any new starters eligible for funded hours and for any children from the point they become eligible for funded hours.
As the new parent declaration covers funded places from September 2026 until August 2027 the form will only need to be completed once per academic year if the child’s attendance and funding claims remain the same. However, a new parent declaration may need to be completed by providers and parents for the following circumstances:
- A child’s attendance pattern/ hours changes from what was initially added to the parent declaration for Sept 26 – Aug 27.
- The number of funded hours changes that the provider wants to claim on behalf of the family changes and / or any of the charges for extra hours or other services change.
Guidance
A video guide is available on YouTube.
Current declaration to be used until August 2026
Providers should continue to use the current parent declaration for any new starters or other children who the provider will claim funded entitlements for this summer term up to and including 31st August 2026.
Considerations when completing the parent declaration form:
- where possible, the form should be completed in advance of a child taking up their funded hours at the childcare provider but nor earlier than the term before the child starts the funded hours.
- the hours a child will attend must be recorded for each term, so a parent can see the funded hours their child will receive. Parents can sign the form no earlier than the term prior. Example: for funded hours accessed in summer, the parent declaration can be signed no earlier than spring term.
- childcare providers must claim funding in the same manner as they provide it to parents, i.e. if you claim funding as 38 weeks this is how parents must be supplied and invoiced for funding. Providers not supplying funding to parents in the same way they claim it could risk either overclaiming or being under funded if a child leaves during the term.
- Stretch Offer - 48 weeks is the most common stretched offer and is over the number of weeks the council pays funding when claimed as stretched. However, Providers can offer stretched over a different number of weeks if they so wish (i.e. 50 weeks). It is how the number of weeks a providers supply to parents that must be recorded on the form.
- 38-week offer - Providers are reminded that the 38-week offer does not need to align to the (school) term time period and the funded hours can be offered to families outside this period (i.e. school holiday periods) in the same term.
- Parents must have sight of the populated form.