Statement of intent
Cambridgeshire Early Years, Childcare, and School Readiness Service (CambsEYC) is committed to supporting the children and families of our Armed Forces, including those currently serving, veterans and those in reserve roles. CambsEYC fulfils this commitment in the following ways:
- Sharing the Armed Forces Covenant with all providers and encouraging them to develop their pledges and promises.
- Family Information Service offers one-to-one support to service families by providing relevant information, advice and guidance on finding childcare, understanding childcare funding, and special education and disability brokerage for the families of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
- Cambridgeshire’s early years funding policy supports providers to retain funding for four weeks if serving families need to move at short notice. CambsEYC advertises this through our funding team and provides support on a case-by-case basis as required. CambsEYC encourages providers to consider how they can best support service families through flexible payment policies.
- The CambsEYC SEND team supports service families moving into Cambridgeshire who have children under the age of five years with SEND or emerging needs by providing them with a lead professional to support them in understanding the Cambridgeshire early years SEND offer.
- The Cambridgeshire Early Childhood Qualifications Centre provide service leavers, reservists, veterans and dependents with career guidance and qualification pathways. This enables workplace experience and qualified entry into the early years and childcare workforce.
- Early years and childcare providers are made aware of recruitment opportunities via the Ministry of Defence Career Transition Partnership and the Forces Families Jobs platforms.
- Early years and childcare providers are supported to gain a better understanding of the unique needs of service children and families through the offer of continuing professional development, support, advice, and guidance. This support can be enhanced when settings are providing, or are about to provide, a place for a child from a service family.
