Expansion to early childcare entitlements: eligibility codes issued and validated
March 2026

This document contains the guidance for the underlying data included in the management information report: “Expansion to early childcare entitlements: eligibility codes issued and validated”.

This technical document published with the release should be referenced alongside this data. It provides information on the data sources, their coverage and quality as well as the methodology used in producing the data.

Data files

Headline stats spring release

Filename: Spring_2026_headline_stats_release.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2025/26 Autumn term to 2025/26 Spring term
Content summary: Headline statistics.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name         |  Variable description
--------------------  |  -----------------------------
age_of_child          |  Age of child at start of term
codes_issued          |  Codes issued
codes_validated       |  Codes validated
percentage_validated  |  Percentage of codes validated


Autumn 2025 codes issued and validated

Filename: Autumn_2025_local_authority_codes_issued_and_validated.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
Time period: 2025
Content summary: Codes issued and validated by local authority for Autumn 2025 term.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name         |  Variable description
--------------------  |  -----------------------------
age                   |  Age
codes_issued          |  Codes issued
codes_validated       |  Codes validated
percentage_validated  |  Percentage of codes validated
user_type             |  User Type

Footnotes:

1. Eligibility Checking Service data was aggregated to local authorities using the child's postcode, and the ONS February 2026 postcode directory. Sometimes, a geography cannot be assigned, and the aggregate of LAs may not equal the full national total. This also means that validation rates can only be between 0% and 100%, as the same postcode is used for both (unlike in other statistics relating to entitlements).
2. “Existing” users are defined as those who held an eligible code in the term immediately preceding the term shown. By contrast, “new” users are those whose codes have only just become eligible, whether because the child has reached the qualifying age or because the application was submitted during the current term.
3. Figures for Sheffield and Barnsley not show on map due to boundary and code changes in those areas.


Spring 2026 codes issued and validated

Filename: Spring_2026_local_authority_codes_issued_and_validated.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
Time period: 2026
Content summary: Codes issued and validated by local authority for Spring 2026 term.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name         |  Variable description
--------------------  |  -----------------------------
age                   |  Age
codes_issued          |  Codes issued
codes_validated       |  Codes validated
percentage_validated  |  Percentage of codes validated
user_type             |  User Type

Footnotes:

1. Eligibility Checking Service data was aggregated to local authorities using the child's postcode, and the ONS February 2026 postcode directory. Sometimes, a geography cannot be assigned, and the aggregate of LAs may not equal the full national total. This also means that validation rates can only be between 0% and 100%, as the same postcode is used for both (unlike in other statistics relating to entitlements).
2. “Existing” users are defined as those who held an eligible code in the term immediately preceding the term shown. By contrast, “new” users are those whose codes have only just become eligible, whether because the child has reached the qualifying age or because the application was submitted during the current term.
3. Figures for Sheffield and Barnsley not show on map due to boundary and code changes in those areas.


Spring 2026 Number of Parents

Filename: Spring_2026_number_of_parents_summary.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
Time period: 2026
Content summary: Number of parents associated with Codes issued and validated for the Spring 2026 term.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name                |  Variable description
---------------------------  |  -------------------------------------------------------------------------
Parents_WIth_Code_Issued     |  Parents wiIth a code issued for 9 months to two-year-olds (Spring term)
Parents_With_Code_Validated  |  Parents with a code validated for 9 months to two-year-olds (Spring term)
percentage_validated         |  Percentage of parents with a validated code

Footnotes:

1. Data based on the address of the eldest child.


Spring 2026 codes issued and validated by IDACI

Filename: Spring_2026_codes_by_IDACI.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2026
Content summary: Codes issued and validated by deprivation, as represented by Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI) for Spring 2026 term.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name         |  Variable description
--------------------  |  -----------------------------------------------------------
codes_issued          |  Codes issued for 9 months to two-year-olds (Spring term)
codes_validated       |  Codes validated for 9 months to two-year-olds (Spring term)
IDACI_Decile          |  IDACI Decile
percentage_validated  |  Percentage of codes validated (Spring term)
user_type             |  User Type

Footnotes:

1. Eligibility Checking Service data was aggregated to local authorities using the child's postcode, and the ONS February 2026 postcode directory. Sometimes, a geography cannot be assigned, and the aggregate of LAs may not equal the full national total. This also means that validation rates can only be between 0% and 100%, as the same postcode is used for both (unlike in other statistics relating to entitlements).
2. “Existing” users are defined as those who held an eligible code in the term immediately preceding the term shown. By contrast, “new” users are those whose codes have only just become eligible, whether because the child has reached the qualifying age or because the application was submitted during the current term.


Autumn 2025 codes issued and validated by IDACI

Filename: Autumn_2025_codes_by_IDACI.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2025
Content summary: Codes issued and validated by deprivation, as represented by Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI) for Autumn 2025 term.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name         |  Variable description
--------------------  |  -----------------------------------------------------------
codes_issued          |  Codes issued for 9 months to two-year-olds (Autumn term)
codes_validated       |  Codes validated for 9 months to two-year-olds (Autumn term)
IDACI_Decile          |  IDACI Decile
percentage_validated  |  Percentage of codes validated (Autumn term)
user_type             |  User Type

Footnotes:

1. Eligibility Checking Service data was aggregated to local authorities using the child's postcode, and the ONS February 2026 postcode directory. Sometimes, a geography cannot be assigned, and the aggregate of LAs may not equal the full national total. This also means that validation rates can only be between 0% and 100%, as the same postcode is used for both (unlike in other statistics relating to entitlements).
2. “Existing” users are defined as those who held an eligible code in the term immediately preceding the term shown. By contrast, “new” users are those whose codes have only just become eligible, whether because the child has reached the qualifying age or because the application was submitted during the current term.


Autumn 2025 Number of Parents

Filename: Autumn_2025_number_of_parents_summary.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
Time period: 2025
Content summary: Number of parents associated with Codes issued and validated for the Autumn 2025 term

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name                |  Variable description
---------------------------  |  -------------------------------------------------------------------------
Parents_WIth_Code_Issued     |  Parents wiIth a code issued for 9 months to two-year-olds (Autumn term)
Parents_With_Code_Validated  |  Parents with a code validated for 9 months to two-year-olds (Autumn term)
percentage_validated         |  Percentage of parents with a validated code

Footnotes:

1. Data based on the address of the eldest child.
