Early Years Options
Early Years Options
Last checked: June 2026
All councils in England are required to publish a ‘Local Offer’. This provides information in one place. It details the services and activities that families can find locally and how to access them.
The Local Offer includes information on:
- Childcare options, including expertise to support children with SEND
- Support to parents to aid children’s development at home. This may include home learning programmes and Portage (see tab 4 below)
- Free early education places and any special arrangements for children with SEND
- Support to help children with SEND move smoothly from nursery or a childminder to reception class at primary school
The Local Offer should be published on your council’s website, and also be available as a printed copy.
Some working parents with children aged between nine months to four years old can get up to 30 hours of free childcare per week.
For more information see:
Turn2Us Help with Childcare Costs > This includes schemes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The law says nurseries must be transparent about additional charges for consumables – such as nappies and sun cream. They must be optional. Nurseries are not allowed to apply top-up fees.
The council has a duty to intervene with nurseries that are not following government rules. The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman investigates complaints about fees.
Gov.UK / Find Free Early Education > This explains the rules about childcare:
- who can provide it
- when it starts
- when it stops.
It also gives a link for you to find out what is available in your area.
You can also search for help with:
Contact – support in the early years > provides information about how this works in different parts of the UK.
Portage home visitors provide help at home for pre-school children with learning difficulties, physical disabilities or other special needs.
The National Portage Association website > has details of all registered portage services and who to contact.
- would like a printed copy of this information
- have questions we haven’t answered
- need support