1. Create an account

2. Add your children to the account

3. Check your Eligibility

4. Await your outcome by email

To begin, click on the 'Create Account' link which can be found on the upper left side of this page. Once you have created your account you can use the 'Log In' link to continue.

If your child attracts part of the following criteria please contact the Local Authority directly on 01782 232200.

·        Statement of Special Educational Needs (SEN)

·        Education Health and care Plan (EHCP)

·        Disability Living Allowance (DLA) / Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

·        Looked after by the local Authority

·        Left care through a Special Guardianship, Adoption or Child Arrangement Order

From September 2019, eligibility has been extended to three additional groups of children:  

•  Children of Zambrano Carers    
• Children of families with no recourse to public funds with a right to remain in the UK on grounds of private / family life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights 
• Children of a subset of failed asylum seekers (supported under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 - 'The 1999 Act')

Please contact us directly if you feel you meet any of these additional criteria

Details of your rights under data protection legislation are available at stoke.gov.uk/dataprotection.

1. Your child’s name, address, date of birth, gender, ethnicity, childcare provider and details of how they take up their free childcare offer
2. Parents details in relation to free childcare, such as their name, date of birth, the 30 hour eligibility code and national insurance number.
3. Parents details in relation to eligibility for Early Years Pupil Premium such as their name, date of birth, national insurance number and National Asylum Support (NASS) Number
4. Your child’s eligibility to the Disability Access Fund (confirming receipt of Disability Living Allowance/Personal Independence Payment (PIP))

We use this data to:

1. To check if your child is eligible for free childcare (if submitting an application for a free childcare place for your two year old)
2. To calculate funding payments for childcare providers and schools
3. To check eligibility for Early Years Pupil Premium
4. To check eligibility codes provided for 30 hours free childcare for working parents
5. To check eligibility for Disability Access Fund
6. To provide information to the DfE for the annual Early Years Census
7. To contribute to data that will inform the local authority’s duty to ensure sufficient childcare

We are able to do this because the law on Early Education and Childcare says we must do it (statutory guidance from the Department for Education as part of the Childcare Act 2006 and Childcare Act 2016)

We may share data with Internal Audit for the purpose of evaluating the effectiveness of the organisation’s risk management, control and governance processes.  We may also share your data with Corporate Fraud for the prevention and detection of fraud.

If you want to speak to someone about this service please contact the Early Years Sufficiency and Access Officer on 01782 232200 or beststart@stoke.gov.uk.