The Early Years Provider Portal is an online web portal for childcare providers to access a secure website to submit details of children and any information to claim funding for free early education entitlement for eligible 2, 3 and 4 year from the local authority. The Portal also allows childcare providers to use the online directory to market their provision to parents/carers searching for childcare places.
All private, voluntary and independent (PVI) early years providers, including childminders, with one or more children receiving Local Authority-funded early education during census week must submit the required information through the Waltham Forest Early Years Provider Portal.
Providers must submit details of all children accessing funded provision during census week. This enables the Local Authority to complete its statutory return to the Department for Education (DfE).
From summer 2026, the DfE Early Years Census is being collected termly across the financial year.
Key dates
Waltham Forest provider submission deadline: Friday 23 October 2026
All child-level and establishment-level information must be submitted through the Waltham Forest Early Years Provider Portal by this date.
Further information about the census, including guidance to support providers with completing their return, will be shared nearer the time by the Early Years Team.
Submission requirements
Providers will be required to submit the following information.
Submitting your information
All child-level, establishment-level and aggregate child information must be submitted through the Waltham Forest Early Years Provider Portal, as directed by the Early Years Team.
Providers should ensure that the information submitted is complete and accurate and that it reflects the children taking up funded provision during census week.
Changes for 2026 to 2027
Providers should review the DfE guidance section “Changes for 2026 to 2027” for information about changes to data items.
Further details
Further details about the Autumn 2026 Early Years Census, including completion guidance and any local submission arrangements, will be communicated to providers nearer the time.
Contacts
Early Years Team
FEEEprovision@walthamforest.gov.uk
For questions about the collection and validation of child-level information, establishment-level information and aggregate child statistics.
Business Intelligence Team
edu.performance@walthamforest.gov.uk
For questions about the Local Authority’s statutory Early Years Census return to the Department for Education.
The following videos demonstrate how you can use the Provider Portal.
The following videos demonstrate how you can add a record to Provider Portal and amending start and end dates within terms.
The following videos demonstrate how you can check 30 hour eligibility codes and checking a child's date of birth not eligible for funding.
The next two videos demonstrates how you can delete a child's record on provider portal and grace period end for 30 hour eligibility.
The next two videos shows how you can log onto the system and check 2 year olds assessments.
The next two videos demonstrates how to can submit headcounts and update your provider record on the childcare directory.