The criteria of the National Standard focus on what children and their families should expect from their ELC experience, regardless of where they access their funded entitlement. 
Funding Follows the Child is ‘provider neutral’ and is underpinned by a National Standard that all settings – regardless of whether they are in the public, private or third sector, or childminders – will have to meet in order to be able to deliver funded ELC.
For families this means that they will be able to access high quality funded ELC with the provider of their choice – in the public, private, Third Sector or a childminder – if that provider meets the criteria set out in the National Standard, wishes to deliver the funded entitlement, has a space available is able to offer the funded hours in-line with their local authority’s ELC delivery plan (subject to the capacity of the setting), and is in contract with their local authority to deliver the funded hours.
This will mean that many settings will have children who may follow a blended model for their 1140 provision so there is new Highland Council guidance, Blended Placements Guidance for ELC Settings, to help support the quality of working in partnership meaning we all support families and children the best way we can.
This new guidance can also be found in the Operational Aspects page of the blog along with the Sharing Information with Blended Placement Template and the Risk Assessment Blended Placements Exemplar.