Information for Parents and Carers

The Department for Education (DfE) introduced Disability Access Fund (DAF) in 2017. This entitles providers who are delivering the early years entitlement fund to claim DAF for any eligible child meeting the following criteria:

  • child is 9 to 23 months old, 2, 3 or 4 years old and accessing pre-school provision (not in reception class)
  • child accesses early years entitlement funding (funded hours, either 15 or 30 hours)
  • child is in receipt of Disability Living Allowance (DLA).

The Disability Access Fund is an annual payment of £938 from 1st May 2025 for eligible children. Funding is paid per year, directly to one childcare provider nominated by the parent.

Early Years providers are responsible for identifying eligible children. Please let your EY provider know if your child receives Disability Living Allowance (DLA). The parent declaration form (FE1) includes a box for you to include your child's DLA reference number (9 digits, displayed on the DLA award letter) as evidence that your child is in receipt of Disability Living Allowance. DAF can only be paid to one provider. If your child attends more than one setting, you will nominate which provider should receive the Disability Access Funding, on the FE1 form.

Information for Settings

The setting should satisfy themselves that the child is in receipt of DLA. Securely retain a copy (paper or electronic) of the evidence available for audit. The local authority is responsible for allocating the DAF funding. To receive funding for DAF, providers need to use the early years and childcare provider portal.

The Early Years census in schools, academies, and other early years settings will include a field to use if a child is in receipt of disability allowance. Identifying a child on the census by entering the 9-digit DLA reference number will automatically trigger a payment to that setting when the data has been finalised (provided that no payment has previously been made in the financial year for that child).

The DAF payment is then processed to the nominated provider. This means that applications can also be made for eligible children living out of county attending a Derbyshire provider.

The government has not laid out criteria or monitoring procedures for DAF. However, Derbyshire local authority recommends suitable use of DAF funding include: 

  • Training: Settings can use DAF funding for any medical training the setting may need to support the child's inclusion in the early years setting. Other bespoke training from the LA (for example, Down's syndrome, Makaton) might also be accessed using DAF.
  • Resources: to purchase resources to support the child's learning outcomes and developmental progress. (Please collaborate with specialist support services when considering buying equipment). Also remember the funding is allocated to the setting. When the child moves on, the equipment stays with the nursery; there is no requirement to pass it on.
  • Staffing: Settings can use DAF funding to provide an increase in enhanced staffing support for the child. Early Years SEN Inclusion Funding (EYIF) is the primary source for this area. However, DAF might be used for top-up during times of the day that EYIF does not cover. Settings can also use DAF funding to fund staffing cover so key staff can attend multi-professional meetings about the child.