skip to main content
Cheshire East Council home page
Listen and translate
Live Well Cheshire East
Live Well site search
  • Live Well home
  • Help to navigate Live Well
  • Find a service
  • Suggest a service
  • MarketPlace ebrokerage log in
  • Cheshire East portals
  • Home
  • Livewell
  • Care and support for children
  • Early years and childcare
  • Information for childcare early years providers
  • Business information for childcare providers
  • Providing the free early education entitlement
  • Administering the Free Early Years Entitlement

Administering the Free Early Education Entitlement (FEEE)

Resources for childcare providers

The Early Years and Childcare Team support providers commissioned by Cheshire East to deliver the  FEEE for two, three and four-year-olds.

Data collection and submission

Parental declaration form – 2, 3 and 4 year olds

Parents must  complete the parental declaration form (MS Word 606, KB) before claiming the free entitlement for 2, 3 and 4 year olds.

Parents should sign the form each subsequent term under step 6 (continuation of free entitlement funding claim), confirming there are no changes to the claim for example the number of hours to be claimed remains the same. If any of the details change, including the child’s address, parents need to complete a new form.

Parents can split the funding between providers; providing the hours claimed do not exceed the permitted hours. Step 2 (parent/carer details) should be completed for children claiming up to 30 hours free childcare and/or Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP).

Step 4 obtains parental consent enabling settings to claim Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) and the Disability Access Fund (DAF).

EYPP  is available to improve teaching and learning facilities and resources to impact positively on an eligible child’s progress and development. This is an additional amount paid directly to the provider with the  FEEE payment.

3 and 4 year old children receiving Disability Living Allowance and accessing the free entitlement are eligible for the Disability Access Fund (DAF). The purpose of  DAF is to support providers to make reasonable adjustments and build the capacity of their setting to support children with disabilities.

Provider portal

To claim funding childcare providers are required to submit their data online, using Cheshire East’s Provider Portal. Prior to the start of the term providers submit each funded child’s data via the Portal to receive an interim payment, 70% of final payment paid prior to the start of term.  During the term the funding data is maintained, adding new starters, amending the leaving date and funded weeks of leavers to receive the remaining 30% of the final payment at the end of the term. To submit your data online:

  • Provider Portal User Guide (PDF, 942KB)

Provider portal

Additional FEEE  documents

  • Early Years Pupil Premium tracking grid (MS Word, 54KB)
  • Early Years Census - section 3 guidance notes (MS Word, 70KB)
  • Charging information for parents (MS Word, 58KB)
  • Invoicing guidance (MS Word, 56KB)
  • FEEE 2023-24 Eligible Birth Dates and Funded Weeks (MS Excel, 43KB)
  • Payment remittance advice guidance (MS Word, 672KB)
  • DocuSign Signing Guidance (PDF, 230KB)
  • Provider Portal - Staff contact details guidance (MS Word, 572KB) 
  • Sufficiency submission guidance notes (MS Word, 171KB)
  • Tax free childcare poster (PDF, 209KB)
  • Privacy notice - how we use pupil information (MS Word, 49KB) 
  • Video showing how to complete the Provider Portal
  • Video showing how to respond to 'Registered Interests'
  • Important dates to remember for FEEE Autumn term 2023 (MS Excel, 51KB)

Data protection

  • Data protection for early year providers

Free early education and childcare for 2 year olds

Two year old children from families meeting a strict economic criteria, or children who are cared for, can apply for free early education and childcare.

Further information can be found on our free childcare for 2 year olds page, including leaflets for parents. Alternatively, parents can phone our Family Information Service on 0300 123 5033.

Document accessibility

Contact details

Email the FEEE Team 

Phone 01270 685888 / 01270 685942

Postal address:

Children and Families
Early Start
Floor 5
Delamere House
C/o Municipal Buildings
Crewe
CW1 2BJ

Also in this section

30 hours free childcare - useful links for childcare providers.
Administering the Free Early Years Entitlement
Early years pupil premium information for childcare providers
Early Years reference group and schools forum
Providing the free early education entitlement

Find a service

Submit

Can we improve this page?

Tell us how
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy policy and cookies
Can I help you buttonOpen or close Cecilia chat bot
Cecilia Close chat window
Privacy notice (link opens in a new window)