GovWire

Early education and childcare: operational guidance sets out:

• what local authorities should do to fulfil their statutory responsibilities
• what early years settings should do to fulfil their agreement with the local authority
• how local authorities and early years settings can support parents and children

The 30 hours free childcare guidance shows how local authorities should meet their statutory responsibilities to foster children.

Local authorities can add their own information to the application form and use it for foster parents applying for 30 hours free childcare for children in foster care.

Statutory means what schools and local authorities must do to comply with the law. You should follow statutory responsibilities unless you have a very good reason not to.

The free early education for 2-year-olds guidance explains how local authorities can verify a parents eligibility for a funded early education place, for 2-year-olds from families with no recourse to public funds.