Purpose

In March 2023 the Chancellor announced
transformative reforms to childcare for parents, children, the
economy and women. By 2027-28, the Government will more than double
its investment into the childcare support it offers, spending over
an estimated £8bn every year on free hours and early
education. Part of these childcare reforms will significantly
increase the availability of childcare, reduce costs and increase
the number of parents who are entitled to the
support. By the 1st September 2025, all eligible working parents
will be entitled to 30 hours free childcare from the term after
their child turns 9 months. These reforms will increase demand
for
childcare places and as such there will need to be an increase in
the supply of places. In January 2024 DfE launched this limited
pilot to help deliver the childcare expansion at pace and test
whether financial incentives in EY would help boost recruitment in
a similar way that it has for school teachers. Doncaster was chosen
by the DFE as one of the eligible Las based on IDACI and
sufficiency data

Content

The aim of the pilot is to help attract new or
returning EY staff by paying an incentive of £1000 shortly
after they take up their role in targeted Private , Voluntary and
Independent provision in
Doncaster. The DfE are testing whether a ‘golden hello’
can be an effective way to recruit EY staff in high demand areas.
We are focussing on :-
1.Full day care providers
2.Sessional settings in areas with sufficiency issues
3.Sessional settings with high numbers of children with SEND
4.Childminders who would like to take on assistants and fit into
the above criteria

This would help us fulfil the brief of the intended Pilot and will
help support the maximum amount of settings but in a targeted
way.
Doncaster has been awarded £240,431 , 5% of this can be spent
on administrative costs. The remaining should be given to the
Setting directly who will administer payment to the member of staff
following a successful 12 week induction period