Support for projects that help Armed Forces families access good quality early years childcare

The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (The Trust) are delighted to announce the latest round of The Armed Forces Families Fund: Early Years Programme.

Under this programme the Trust will award grants of between £5,000 and £80,000 for projects which help enhance early childhood education and childcare settings to ensure they meet the needs of young children from Armed Forces families.

What’s the aim of the programme?

The Trust want to help Armed Forces families access good quality early childhood education and childcare provision that is located close to where they live or serve.

The Early Years Programme aims to address specific needs that early childhood educators have identified, such as funding to increase capacity for settings or funding to support training and development of staff so that more Armed Forces families have access to high quality childcare.

Who can apply?

Applications are invited from early childhood education and childcare providers which operate either on Defence Estate (armed forces base, station unit or within the Patch) OR within 5 miles of where Armed forces families live or work. Local Authorities who provide training to early childhood education and childcare providers or organisations who provide childminder training for those working with Service Children are also eligible to apply.

Grants of between £5,000 and £80,000 are available for projects lasting up to two years.

What type of projects can be supported?

Projects must clearly benefit Armed Forces families with a child under 5 by enhancing their access to high quality childcare. Projects need to deliver sustainable change, fill a current gap in support and have been developed with help from people in Armed Forces Communities.

Early childhood education and childcare providers based on Defence Estates can apply for a grant to create and/or improve their outdoor learning facilities.

Early childhood education and childcare providers on, or within 5 miles of an Armed Forces base (where children from Armed Forces families make up a minimum of 40% of children on roll) can apply for a grant to enable them to boost capacity.

This programme can also fund additional training and development for early years professionals working with Armed Forces children.

There will be two application deadlines this year: 5pm on 11 October 2023 and 5pm on 12 January 2024.

Find out more

Full details of this Fund are available on the Trust’s dedicated programme page alongside useful guidance and further information on eligibility.

Keep up to date with funding opportunities

For the latest updates and announcements on Covenant Fund programmes, and any other funding opportunities the Trust has available throughout the year, sign up to their e-newsletter via their website www.covenantfund.org.uk