Stop early years hours once a child starts school, and start working parent hours with the next term

changelog.d/2567-term-starts.fixed.md

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+- Start a child's working parent hours with the first 1 January, 1 April or 1 September after it reaches the minimum age (SI 2022/1134 reg 27(1)(a); SI 2016/1257 reg 35(3) before December 2022), each of the year's terms counting for a third of it. The new `extended_childcare_entitlement_term_share` reads the date of birth, so a child aged 0 in the middle of the year who was born from October to March now gets one or two terms' hours, where none did before, and a 1-year-old who reached nine months after 1 April loses the summer term. Universal and targeted hours meet the working parent hours term by term. From 2025, household simulations that give only whole ages are unchanged, since such a child is taken to be born on 6 April; in earlier years, at a minimum age of two or three, such a child now qualifies from September.

changelog.d/2567.fixed.md

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+- Stop the universal and working parent free hours in England, and Scotland's funded early learning and childcare, from the term a child starts school. A council meets both English duties for a child in a state-funded or council-funded reception class through the school place (DfE statutory guidance, footnotes 7 and 17, paras A4.8 and C.6), and a child at primary school is not an eligible pre-school child in Scotland (Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 s.47(2)(b)). The new `early_years_term_share_before_school` gives the share of the year's terms before the child starts school, from the date of birth. In England a child starts reception in the September following its fourth birthday (School Admissions Code 2021 para 2.17), so most 4-year-olds keep only the summer term; Scotland's primary 1 starts in August for children who turn five from March to February, and Northern Ireland's in September for children who are four by 1 July. A household simulation that gives only a whole age of 4 takes the child to be born on 6 April, so it now gets a third of the year's universal and working parent hours. Set the new `early_years_school_start_deferred` for a child whose start is deferred, or who takes funded hours in a council-funded independent reception class, to keep the year.

docs/book/programs/gov/dfe/extended-childcare-entitlement.ipynb

@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@
     "\n",
     "The 30 hours include any universal (3- and 4-year-old) or targeted (2-year-old) hours available to the child. [Childcare Act 2016 s.1(6)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2016/5/section/1) counts childcare available under the 2006 Act towards the total; [2014 regulations 3–4](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/2147/made/data.html) establish those base entitlements. DfE's [statutory guidance A1.11](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-education-and-childcare--2/early-education-and-childcare-valid-from-1-april-2026#section-a1-eligibility) requires the first 15 hours for a child eligible for both targeted and working-parent provision to be funded as targeted hours. Qualifying for the working-parent entitlement never removes universal or targeted eligibility.\n",
     "\n",
+    "A child in a state-funded or council-funded reception class gets no funded hours outside its school place ([statutory guidance](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-education-and-childcare--2/early-education-and-childcare-valid-from-1-april-2026), footnotes 7 and 17, paras A4.8 and C.6). It takes up that place in the September following its fourth birthday (C.5), so most 4-year-olds get universal and working-parent hours for the summer term only. `early_years_term_share_before_school` gives the share of the year's terms before the child starts school, from its date of birth, and `early_years_school_start_deferred` keeps the year for a deferred start.\n",
+    "\n",
     "### Eligibility requirements\n",
     "\n",
     "#### Work status\n",
@@ -124,6 +126,7 @@
     "### 5. Entitlement calculation\n",
     "Final calculations in [`extended_childcare_entitlement_per_child.py`](https://github.com/PolicyEngine/policyengine-uk/blob/main/policyengine_uk/variables/gov/dfe/extended_childcare_entitlement/extended_childcare_entitlement_per_child.py), summed for the family by [`extended_childcare_entitlement.py`](https://github.com/PolicyEngine/policyengine-uk/blob/main/policyengine_uk/variables/gov/dfe/extended_childcare_entitlement/extended_childcare_entitlement.py):\n",
     "* Determines weekly hours based on child's age\n",
+    "* Counts only the terms the child is old enough for (`extended_childcare_entitlement_term_share`): its hours start with the first 1 January, 1 April or 1 September after it reaches the minimum age ([SI 2022/1134 reg 27](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2022/1134/regulation/27)). The year's terms begin on 1 April, 1 September and 1 January, a third of the year each, so a child aged 0 in the middle of the year can get one or two terms, and a child aged 1 who reached nine months after 1 April misses the summer term. Survey ages are whole years; `months_since_last_birthday` spreads birthdays over the year, and in a household simulation a child given only a whole age is taken to be born on 6 April\n",
     "* Limits them to the hours the child and the family use (`max_free_entitlement_hours_used`, `maximum_extended_childcare_hours_usage`)\n",
     "* Applies appropriate funding rates\n",
     "* For children participating in working-parent provision, allocates their first funded hours, up to 15 per week, to the applicable universal or targeted entitlement based on legal eligibility, regardless of the standalone take-up flags\n",

docs/book/programs/gov/dfe/universal-childcare-entitlement.ipynb

@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@
     "* Age requirements:\n",
     "  * Checks child meets minimum age requirement\n",
     "  * Ensures child is below compulsory school age\n",
+    "  * Stops in the terms after the child starts school: a reception place, taken up in the September following the fourth birthday, meets the entitlement ([DfE statutory guidance](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-education-and-childcare--2/early-education-and-childcare-valid-from-1-april-2026), footnotes 7 and 17, C.5). `early_years_term_share_before_school` gives the share of the year's terms before that, from the date of birth, so most 4-year-olds keep only the summer term; `early_years_school_start_deferred` keeps the year for a deferred start\n",
     "  * Referenced in Section 7 of Childcare Act 2006\n",
     "\n",
     "Example table:\n",

policyengine_uk/tests/policy/baseline/gov/dfe/extended_childcare_entitlement/extended_childcare_entitlement_eligible.yaml

@@ -178,6 +178,76 @@
   output:
     extended_childcare_entitlement_eligible: false
 
+# DfE's statutory guidance (April 2026, footnotes 7 and 17, paras A4.8 and
+# C.6): a child in a state-funded or council-funded reception class is not
+# entitled to free hours outside the school place, though it is still under
+# compulsory school age. A child starting reception in September (C.5) still
+# qualifies for the summer term.
+- name: Not eligible - the only child is at school all year
+  period: 2026
+  input:
+    households:
+      household1:
+        members: [parent1, child1]
+        country: ENGLAND
+    people:
+      parent1:
+        age: 35
+        extended_childcare_entitlement_work_condition: true
+      child1:
+        age: 4
+        early_years_term_share_before_school: 0
+    benunits:
+      benunit1:
+        members: [parent1, child1]
+  output:
+    extended_childcare_entitlement_qualifying_child: [false, false]
+    extended_childcare_entitlement_eligible: false
+
+- name: Eligible - a child at school all year with a 2-year-old sibling
+  period: 2026
+  input:
+    households:
+      household1:
+        members: [parent1, child1, child2]
+        country: ENGLAND
+    people:
+      parent1:
+        age: 35
+        extended_childcare_entitlement_work_condition: true
+      child1:
+        age: 4
+        early_years_term_share_before_school: 0
+      child2:
+        age: 2
+    benunits:
+      benunit1:
+        members: [parent1, child1, child2]
+  output:
+    extended_childcare_entitlement_qualifying_child: [false, false, true]
+    extended_childcare_entitlement_eligible: true
+
+- name: Eligible - a 4-year-old starting reception in September
+  period: 2026
+  input:
+    households:
+      household1:
+        members: [parent1, child1]
+        country: ENGLAND
+    people:
+      parent1:
+        age: 35
+        extended_childcare_entitlement_work_condition: true
+      child1:
+        age: 4
+        date_of_birth: 20220831
+    benunits:
+      benunit1:
+        members: [parent1, child1]
+  output:
+    extended_childcare_entitlement_qualifying_child: [false, true]
+    extended_childcare_entitlement_eligible: true
+
 - name: Not eligible - no children
   period: 2025
   input:

policyengine_uk/tests/policy/baseline/gov/dfe/extended_childcare_entitlement/extended_childcare_entitlement_per_child.yaml

@@ -54,6 +54,96 @@
     # 30 x 38 x 12.04
     extended_childcare_entitlement_per_child: 13725.60
 
+# SI 2022/1134 reg 27(1)(a): working parent hours start with the first
+# 1 January, 1 April or 1 September after the child is nine months old, each
+# term a third of the year.
+- name: A baby nine months old by 1 January gets the spring term's hours
+  period: 2026
+  absolute_error_margin: 0.05
+  input:
+    people:
+      child:
+        age: 0
+        date_of_birth: 20260315
+    benunits:
+      benunit:
+        members: [child]
+        extended_childcare_entitlement_eligible: true
+  output:
+    # Nine months on 15 December 2026: a third of 30 x 38 x 12.04.
+    extended_childcare_entitlement_per_child: 4575.20
+    is_child_receiving_extended_childcare: true
+
+- name: A baby nine months old by 1 September gets two terms' hours
+  period: 2026
+  absolute_error_margin: 0.05
+  input:
+    people:
+      child:
+        age: 0
+        date_of_birth: 20251115
+    benunits:
+      benunit:
+        members: [child]
+        extended_childcare_entitlement_eligible: true
+  output:
+    # Nine months on 15 August 2026.
+    extended_childcare_entitlement_per_child: 9150.40
+
+- name: A 1-year-old nine months old after 1 April misses the summer term
+  period: 2026
+  absolute_error_margin: 0.05
+  input:
+    people:
+      child:
+        age: 1
+        date_of_birth: 20250720
+    benunits:
+      benunit:
+        members: [child]
+        extended_childcare_entitlement_eligible: true
+  output:
+    # Nine months on 20 April 2026.
+    extended_childcare_entitlement_per_child: 9150.40
+
+# Until April 2024 the minimum age was three (reg 13(2)(a) as made). A
+# standalone universal claim runs all year; the working parent hours top it up
+# to 30 a week only in the terms after the third birthday. Rate: £5.88 (3-4).
+- name: A 3-year-old qualifying from September keeps a full year of universal hours
+  period: 2023
+  absolute_error_margin: 0.05
+  input:
+    people:
+      child:
+        age: 3
+        date_of_birth: 20200801
+    benunits:
+      benunit:
+        members: [child]
+        extended_childcare_entitlement_eligible: true
+  output:
+    # 570 x 5.88, then 15 more hours a week in two of the three terms.
+    universal_childcare_entitlement: 3351.60
+    extended_childcare_entitlement_per_child: 2234.40
+
+- name: Without standalone take-up such a child's universal hours come only in those terms
+  period: 2023
+  absolute_error_margin: 0.05
+  input:
+    people:
+      child:
+        age: 3
+        date_of_birth: 20200801
+    benunits:
+      benunit:
+        members: [child]
+        extended_childcare_entitlement_eligible: true
+        would_claim_universal_childcare: false
+  output:
+    # Two thirds of 570 x 5.88 in each programme.
+    universal_childcare_entitlement: 2234.40
+    extended_childcare_entitlement_per_child: 2234.40
+
 - name: Working parent participation funds universal first even with false standalone take-up
   period: 2026
   absolute_error_margin: 0.05
@@ -101,6 +191,8 @@
     people:
       child:
         age: 4
+        # Four on 15 September 2026, so in reception from September 2027.
+        date_of_birth: 20220915
     benunits:
       benunit:
         members: [child]

policyengine_uk/tests/policy/baseline/gov/dfe/extended_childcare_entitlement/extended_childcare_entitlement_term_share.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+# SI 2022/1134 reg 27(1)(a): a child is eligible for working parent hours
+# from the first 1 January, 1 April or 1 September after the day its
+# declaration has effect, which for a declaration made in advance is the day
+# it attains the minimum age (regs 13(2)(a), 20(a) and 25(1)): nine months
+# from 1 September 2024 (SI 2023/1330 reg 2(5)(b)). The model year runs from
+# April, so its terms begin on 1 April, 1 September and 1 January.
+- name: Nine months before 1 January gives the spring term only
+  period: 2026
+  input:
+    age: 0
+    date_of_birth: 20260331
+  output:
+    # Nine months on 31 December 2026.
+    extended_childcare_entitlement_term_share: 0.3333
+  absolute_error_margin: 0.0001
+
+- name: Nine months on 1 January gives no term in the year
+  period: 2026
+  input:
+    age: 0
+    date_of_birth: 20260401
+  output:
+    # Nine months on 1 January 2027: eligible from 1 April 2027.
+    extended_childcare_entitlement_term_share: 0
+    extended_childcare_entitlement_qualifying_child: false
+
+- name: Nine months before 1 September gives the autumn and spring terms
+  period: 2026
+  input:
+    age: 0
+    date_of_birth: 20251130
+  output:
+    # Nine months on 30 August 2026.
+    extended_childcare_entitlement_term_share: 0.6667
+  absolute_error_margin: 0.0001
+
+- name: Nine months on 1 September gives the spring term only
+  period: 2026
+  input:
+    age: 0
+    date_of_birth: 20251201
+  output:
+    extended_childcare_entitlement_term_share: 0.3333
+  absolute_error_margin: 0.0001
+
+- name: A 1-year-old who reached nine months on 1 April misses the summer term
+  period: 2026
+  input:
+    age: 1
+    date_of_birth: 20250701
+  output:
+    extended_childcare_entitlement_term_share: 0.6667
+  absolute_error_margin: 0.0001
+
+- name: A 1-year-old who reached nine months before 1 April gets every term
+  period: 2026
+  input:
+    age: 1
+    date_of_birth: 20250630
+  output:
+    extended_childcare_entitlement_term_share: 1
+
+# Without a date of birth a whole age is the middle of the year of age: born
+# on 6 April, so nine months old on 6 January.
+- name: Without a date of birth, age 0 gets no term and age 1 every term
+  period: 2026
+  input:
+    people:
+      baby:
+        age: 0
+      toddler:
+        age: 1
+  output:
+    extended_childcare_entitlement_term_share: [0, 1]
+
+# A fractional age is the exact age on 6 October.
+- name: A child exactly nine months old on 6 October gets the spring term
+  period: 2026
+  input:
+    age: 0.75
+  output:
+    extended_childcare_entitlement_term_share: 0.3333
+  absolute_error_margin: 0.0001
+
+# Reg 13(2)(a): "two" from 1 April 2024 to 31 August 2024 (SI 2023/1330 reg
+# 2(5)(a)), the value on 30 April 2024, which the model reads for 2024.
+- name: A child turning two on 1 April 2024 qualifies from September
+  period: 2024
+  input:
+    age: 2
+    date_of_birth: 20220401
+  output:
+    extended_childcare_entitlement_term_share: 0.6667
+  absolute_error_margin: 0.0001
+
+# SI 2016/1257 reg 35(3) set the same start dates from the third birthday
+# before December 2022.
+- name: A child turning three after 1 April 2022 qualifies from September
+  period: 2022
+  input:
+    age: 3
+    date_of_birth: 20190415
+  output:
+    extended_childcare_entitlement_term_share: 0.6667
+  absolute_error_margin: 0.0001