New Child Paperwork

What paperwork do you need to ask parents to complete when a new child starts in your care? Do you know where to find it all on the Childcare.co.uk website?

We’ve put together this handy list for you to reference, with useful information and links.

• Welcome booklet – before parents come out to see you, you might want to send them a welcome booklet or information booklet about you and your setting. It will help to answer some questions and provide them with information about, for example, your daily routines, fees and mealtime options for their child.
  
  
• New family discussion list – to support providers with those initial discussions with new parents.
  
  
• Parent-provider contract – required as a condition of your insurance. The Childcare.co.uk sample contract is flexible and can be used for a variety of different scenarios. You can also add information on an additional sheet if required and there is an additional contract addendum form for any mid-term updates.
  
  
• Permission and information sharing – this form is essential to ensure parents are giving you permission for partnership working (Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) requirement) and taking photographs (ICO requirement). There are further permission forms: permission for an assistant to be unsupervised with their child for up to 2 hours a day; permission to share with another setting / agency; permission to administer medication. You can also use this form for parents to confirm you have discussed essential information with parents – for example, where their baby or child will be sleeping, use of vehicles for outings etc.
  
  
• Child registration form – a useful place to note information about the child such as medical details and information about other settings they have attended.
  
  
• Emergency contact form – note from September 2025 it is a requirement of the EYFS to have an additional emergency contact for the child ‘where possible’. This is a safeguarding and welfare requirements change. You might want to inform parents that this form is also taken on outings, for emergency services to use in case you are unable to speak for the child.
  
  
• All about me – a child-centred form to help you find out as much information about the child and their care, learning and development as possible before they start in the setting. This is also a place where parents can tell you about their child’s daily routines, mealtime information etc (allergy forms added for 2025). If you need to record further information – for example, about weaning for babies, there is an additional weaning action plan you can give to parents to help you comply with the EYFS September 2025.
  
  
• Starting points – this is not required by the EYFS, but Ofstedexpect you to be able to explain children’s progress from starting points during inspection, so you can use it as an indicator of what parents believe their child knows and can already do when they start in the setting. It also allows you to plan for the next steps in their learning from day 1.
  
  
• Funding guidance – a funding form will be provided by your Local Authority (LA) based on the latest DfE statutory guidance. It will probably be around 6 pages long and parents will need to complete it fully before you can apply for funding and update the code and signature on the form termly. Alongside the funding form, you will need to provide parents with a Funding Fees Policy and your LA will probably expect you to write them an invoice.
  
  
• Safeguarding Policy – it is a requirement of the EYFS and Childcare Register to provide parents with a copy of your policy. Your LA might have a model policy for you to use or Childcare.co.uk gold members can download and use the policy (including updated policies for the EYFS from September 2025).
  
  
• Information about the EYFS – it is a requirement of the EYFS to provide parents with information about the EYFS, how it is used in the setting and how parents can find more information. Childcare.co.uk also has useful information for providers about changes to the EYFS from September 2025.
  
  
• Fees policy – there might be additional policies you want to share with parents – for example, about medication administration and what happens if their child has an accident. An essential policy is your Private Fees Policy, which sets out what you charge in addition to funded hours which are free from the Government (if claimed / if parents are eligible).
  
  
• Progress check at 2 – at some point between the ages of 2 and 3 years, you will need to complete a ‘Progress check at 2’ for the child. Childcare.co.uk has guidance and a form, along with information about what to do if a child is not reaching their expected milestones.
  
  
• Ongoing information sharing – it is a requirement to support children’s home learning. Childcare.co.uk has a series of monthly guides and lots of other information you can share with parents.
  
  
• Assessment checks – Childcare.co.uk also provide quick assessment checks to support your assessment of children’s progress. They are not statutory, but popular with members.
  
  
• School readiness – in the pre-school year, you might want to share further information with parents about their child’s school readiness journey. This includes, for example, a series of guides about teaching children letters, numbers and early phonics to align with school expectations.
  
  

Note this guidance is for providers in England. Scottish and Welsh colleagues will have their own documentation to use.