--- title: EYFS and EHCPs for Babies and Young Children description: Understand EYFS and EHCPs for babies and young children, including early years SEND, health, care, portage and transition to school. image: https://www.navigatesend.com/hubfs/10.%20send_eyfs_ehcp_babies_blog_post.png --- [Skip to content](https://www.navigatesend.com/send-blog/eyfs-ehcps-babies-young-children#main-content) [![Navigate SEND](https://www.navigatesend.com/hubfs/NavigateSEND-logo-CROPPED-header-800w-transparent.png)](https://www.navigatesend.com/) - [Home](https://www.navigatesend.com/) - [Services](https://www.navigatesend.com/services) - [Find the Right Service](https://www.navigatesend.com/your-pathway) - [For Families](https://www.navigatesend.com/navigate-for-families) - [For Case Managers](https://www.navigatesend.com/navigate-for-case-managers) - [For Schools](https://www.navigatesend.com/for-schools) - [For Financial Deputies](https://www.navigatesend.com/funding-support-for-financial-deputies) - [For Solicitors and Legal Teams](https://www.navigatesend.com/expert-witness) - [Resources](https://www.navigatesend.com/navigate-send-resources) - [What is SEND?](https://www.navigatesend.com/what-is-send) - [SEND Screener](https://www.navigatesend.com/send-screener) - [SEND Checklists](https://www.navigatesend.com/navigate-send-checklists) - [SEND Research & Innovation](https://www.navigatesend.com/research) - [SEND Guidance](https://www.navigatesend.com/send-blog) - [About Us](https://www.navigatesend.com/about-us) - [Where We Work](https://www.navigatesend.com/where-we-work) - [Fees](https://www.navigatesend.com/navigate-send-prices) - [Contact](https://www.navigatesend.com/contact-us) [Book a free 15 min consultation](https://www.navigatesend.com/contact-us) Search the Navigate SEND website Search the Navigate SEND website - [Home](https://www.navigatesend.com/) - [Services](https://www.navigatesend.com/services) - [Find the Right Service](https://www.navigatesend.com/your-pathway) - [For Families](https://www.navigatesend.com/navigate-for-families) - [For Case Managers](https://www.navigatesend.com/navigate-for-case-managers) - [For Schools](https://www.navigatesend.com/for-schools) - [For Financial Deputies](https://www.navigatesend.com/funding-support-for-financial-deputies) - [For Solicitors and Legal Teams](https://www.navigatesend.com/expert-witness) - [Resources](https://www.navigatesend.com/navigate-send-resources) - [What is SEND?](https://www.navigatesend.com/what-is-send) - [SEND Screener](https://www.navigatesend.com/send-screener) - [SEND Checklists](https://www.navigatesend.com/navigate-send-checklists) - [SEND Research & Innovation](https://www.navigatesend.com/research) - [SEND Guidance](https://www.navigatesend.com/send-blog) - [About Us](https://www.navigatesend.com/about-us) - [Where We Work](https://www.navigatesend.com/where-we-work) - [Fees](https://www.navigatesend.com/navigate-send-prices) - [Contact](https://www.navigatesend.com/contact-us) [Book a free 15 min consultation](https://www.navigatesend.com/contact-us) ![A parent and young child reviewing early years SEND support, health and care advice, and an EHCP transition plan for nursery or school.](https://www.navigatesend.com/hs-fs/hubfs/10.%20send_eyfs_ehcp_babies_blog_post.png?width=1122&height=1402&name=10.%20send_eyfs_ehcp_babies_blog_post.png) # How EYFS and EHCPs work for babies and young children ![Matt Bell](https://www.navigatesend.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Matt_Bell_1000x1000.jpg?width=48&height=48&name=Matt_Bell_1000x1000.jpg) Matt Bell 5 November 2026 ##### EYFS and EHCPs are becoming a more common concern for families of babies and young children with complex developmental, health, physical, communication or learning needs. Parents may be told that an Education, Health and Care Plan is only relevant once a child starts school, or that health and care support should stay separate until education becomes involved. ##### This guide explains what the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) does, when an EHCP can be relevant before school age, why early planning matters, and how Navigate SEND helps families and professionals bring education, health and care together around the child. ### The short answer EYFS and EHCPs can apply from the earliest stages of childhood. The EYFS is the statutory framework for learning, development and care from birth to five, and an EHCP can be considered for a baby or young child if they have, or may have, special educational needs requiring special educational provision. For a child under two, special educational provision means educational provision of any kind. An EHCP is not needed simply for a baby or young child to attend nursery or school. Its value is that it can bring education, health and social care into one plan, clarify outcomes, secure special educational provision, and support transition from health, care or portage into an appropriate early years or school placement. ### Why early years SEND is becoming more visible Early years SEND is becoming more visible for several reasons. More children are being identified earlier, more families are aware of EHCPs, and health, care and early education services are under pressure to coordinate support before a child reaches statutory school age. The latest EYFS Profile data shows that in 2024/25, 589,500 children were assessed at the end of the EYFS. Of those assessed, 13.7% had special educational needs, up from 10.2% in 2021/22. Among children with SEN, 25.9% had an EHCP, also up from 21.5% in 2021/22. The same statistics show a large development gap: 76.5% of children with no SEN provision had a good level of development in 2024/25, compared with 20.6% of children with any SEN provision and 4.0% of children with an EHCP. (explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk) The wider EHCP system is also growing. In 2025 there were 162,700 requests for EHC needs assessment, 5.3% higher than in 2024, and the Department for Education says the most common time to request an assessment is before compulsory schooling or before transfer to secondary school. In January 2026 there were 4,900 children with EHCPs attending an early years provider other than a school, a 9.1% increase from 2025. (explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk) These figures do not mean every child with early developmental concern needs an EHCP. They do show that early years SEND is no longer a marginal issue. It is a major part of the national SEND picture. ### What is the EYFS? The Early Years Foundation Stage is the statutory framework that sets standards for the learning, development and care of children from birth to five. (gov.uk) It applies to schools and childcare providers in England, including many nurseries, reception classes, childminders and other registered early years providers. The EYFS is not only about “school readiness”. It covers children’s development, safety, welfare, assessment and learning. It recognises that children develop at different rates and that the framework covers all children, including those with SEND. The EYFS is built around three prime areas of learning and development: communication and language, physical development, and personal, social and emotional development. These prime areas are particularly important for babies and very young children because they provide the foundation for later learning. The EYFS also includes four specific areas: literacy, mathematics, understanding the world, and expressive arts and design. For children with SEND, this matters because early concerns often appear first in the prime areas: communication, movement, regulation, interaction, play, feeding, sensory development, sleep, safety or participation. These are not “too early” to notice. They are exactly the areas early years practitioners should be observing. ### Can a baby or very young child have an EHCP? Yes. An EHCP is available for children and young people from birth to 25 where the legal test is met. This often surprises families because they associate EHCPs with school placements, classroom support or exams. For babies and very young children, the question is different. It is not “Does this child need help with schoolwork?” The question is whether the child has, or may have, special educational needs and whether special educational provision may be necessary through an EHCP. For children under compulsory school age, the test looks forward: is the child likely to have a learning difficulty or disability when they reach compulsory school age? For children under two, special educational provision means educational provision of any kind. That can include early developmental work, communication support, portage-style input, sensory learning, physical access support, specialist teaching, therapy that educates or trains, and structured early intervention designed to support learning and development. A baby or toddler may already be supported mainly by health or care services. That is common and can be appropriate. But where the support is educational in nature, or where education, health and care need to be coordinated around outcomes, an EHC needs assessment may be worth considering. ### When should families think about an EHC needs assessment? Families do not need to wait until a child is nearly five. In fact, waiting can create avoidable difficulty, especially where a specialist nursery, specialist placement, complex transition plan or multi-agency support package may be needed. An [EHC needs assessment](https://www.navigatesend.com/ehcp-needs-assessment-requests-and-reassessments) may be worth considering where: - the child has complex developmental, physical, sensory, communication or medical needs; - health or care professionals are already heavily involved; - portage, therapy or specialist teaching is needed over time; - ordinary nursery support is unlikely to be enough; - a specialist nursery or specialist school placement may be needed; - the child needs equipment, environmental planning, personal care or therapy to access learning; - transition from health or care services into education will be complex; - there is no single plan pulling advice together. The legal EHCP process has a statutory maximum timescale of 20 weeks from request to final plan where a plan is issued. But in practice, complex early years cases often need far more planning time. In Navigate SEND’s experience, families should often start thinking 12 to 18 months before a major transition, particularly where specialist placement, health advice, social care, transport, equipment or therapy arrangements may need to be lined up. That longer planning period is not a legal deadline. It is a practical reality: the earlier the evidence is organised, the easier it is to avoid a rushed or unsuitable school-start decision. ### How EYFS support should work before or alongside an EHCP The EYFS expects early years practitioners to notice concerns, speak with parents and agree how to support the child. Where progress in a prime area gives cause for concern, practitioners should consider whether the child may have SEN or disability requiring specialist support and should help families access relevant services. Children should have a key person who helps ensure learning and care are tailored to their needs. Where a child is aged between two and three, practitioners must review progress and give parents a short written summary of development in the prime areas. If that progress check identifies SEN or disability, a targeted plan should be developed involving parents and relevant professionals. Some settings must have a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO), and others in group provision are expected to identify one. Maintained nursery schools and local-authority-funded early education providers must have regard to the SEND Code of Practice. (gov.uk) Early years providers must also make information available to parents about how they support children with SEND and must keep records. This means families can ask early years settings clear questions: what needs have been noticed, what support is in place, who is responsible, how progress is being reviewed, and whether specialist advice is needed. ### Where early years EHCP planning often goes wrong The most common problem is delay. A child may be known to health services from birth, but education planning may not begin properly until two, three or even four. By then, families may be trying to secure nursery support or a specialist school place against tight deadlines. Another problem is fragmented evidence. Health may hold key reports. Social care may understand family support needs. Portage may know the child’s learning profile. A nursery may see practical barriers day to day. But no one may have brought that evidence together into a coherent education, health and care picture. A further problem is the idea that a baby or toddler is “too young” for an EHCP. That is not right as a blanket statement. Not every baby with health needs needs an EHCP, but the legal framework can apply from birth where the child may have SEN and may require special educational provision through a plan. Public complaint decisions show the impact of delay. In one 2025 Ombudsman case, a five-year-old autistic child was moving from an early years setting towards school. The council eventually issued a final EHCP more than 15 months late. The Ombudsman said the child was at a critical stage of education, transferring from early years to key stage one, and that earlier decision-making would have allowed the family to challenge placement decisions sooner. Nationally, Ombudsman reports also continue to show delays in EHCP processes, including cases where plans were delayed even after specialist advice had been obtained. (lgo.org.uk) This is why early evidence gathering and clear requests matter. ### What can families request? Families can request an EHC needs assessment if they believe the legal test may be met. They can also request that the assessment includes advice from relevant professionals, such as educational psychology, health, social care, therapists, portage, specialist teachers and others involved with the child. Families may also ask for: - a clear EYFS support or targeted plan; - a copy of the age two progress check or developmental records; - [health advice](https://www.navigatesend.com/send-blog/healthcare-support-in-education-send) to be shared with education; - [social care assessment](https://www.navigatesend.com/send-blog/social-care-support-disabled-children-send) where family support, personal care or short breaks may be needed; - occupational therapy advice about equipment, access or adaptations; - speech and language therapy advice where communication affects learning; - transition planning into nursery, reception or specialist provision; - an [annual review](https://www.navigatesend.com/send-blog/ehcp-annual-review-timelines) once an EHCP is in place; - clear Section B, F, C, G, D and H wording where an EHCP is issued. The most important thing is to frame the request around [access to learning and development](https://www.navigatesend.com/send-blog/childrens-right-to-education-in-england-navigate-send), not simply diagnosis. A useful question is: what educational or developmental provision does this child need, and who needs to coordinate it? ### How Navigate SEND supports EYFS and EHCP planning Navigate SEND helps families and professionals make sense of early years SEND where education, health and care overlap. We can help by: - mapping current health, care, portage and early education involvement; - identifying whether an EHC needs assessment may be appropriate; - helping families frame an early years assessment request clearly; - organising evidence from health, social care, portage and nursery; - preparing for nursery or reception transition meetings; - reviewing draft EHCP wording for babies and young children; - checking whether therapy or care provision educates or trains and should be in Section F; - supporting annual reviews and [placement planning](https://www.navigatesend.com/send-blog/choosing-the-right-school-or-college); - helping families avoid leaving specialist placement planning until the final months before school starts. The aim is not to push every young child towards an EHCP. It is to make sure that where a child needs coordinated, enforceable support, the process starts early enough and is based on a clear picture of need. For families juggling more than one SEND issue at once, this can extend into [ongoing strategic advisory support](https://www.navigatesend.com/ongoing-send-strategic-advisory).   ## Questions families often ask ###### **Can a baby have an EHCP?** Yes. EHCPs can apply from birth where the legal test is met. For a child under two, special educational provision means educational provision of any kind. ###### **Does my child need an EHCP to start nursery or school?** No. An EHCP is not a general entry requirement. It becomes relevant where the child needs special educational provision that should be coordinated and secured through a formal plan. ###### **What is the EYFS age two progress check?** It is a review of a child’s development between ages two and three, focusing on the prime areas of learning. If it identifies SEN or disability, the setting should develop a targeted plan with parents and relevant professionals. ###### **Should we wait until reception before requesting an EHC needs assessment?** Not necessarily. If needs are complex, transition will be difficult or a specialist placement may be needed, it is often better to seek advice early. The legal process may be 20 weeks, but practical planning can take much longer. ###### **Can Navigate SEND help with a very young child?** Yes. Navigate SEND can help families organise the evidence, understand whether an EHC needs assessment is appropriate, prepare for transition and review draft EHCP wording.   ### Next step If your baby or young child has complex needs and you are unsure how EYFS, health, care, portage and EHCP planning fit together, Navigate SEND can help you organise the picture and identify the strongest next step. [Book a free 15-minute consultation](https://www.navigatesend.com/contact-us) ## Share this post [mailto:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.navigatesend.com%2Fsend-blog%2Feyfs-ehcps-babies-young-children](mailto:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.navigatesend.com%2Fsend-blog%2Feyfs-ehcps-babies-young-children) ## Keep reading ### [![A parent reviewing SEND records, school emails and local authority decision notes after making a subject access request.](https://www.navigatesend.com/hs-fs/hubfs/9.%20send_information_rights_blog_post.png?width=1024&height=1535&name=9.%20send_information_rights_blog_post.png) SEND Information Rights: SAR and FOI Guide](https://www.navigatesend.com/send-blog/send-information-rights-sar-foi-school-records) ### [![A parent reviewing SEND complaint paperwork, EHCP provision notes and a pre-action protocol timeline.](https://www.navigatesend.com/hs-fs/hubfs/8.%20send_complaints_lgsco_judicial_review_blog_post.png?width=1448&height=1086&name=8.%20send_complaints_lgsco_judicial_review_blog_post.png) SEND Complaints and Judicial Review Guide](https://www.navigatesend.com/send-blog/send-complaints-judicial-review) ![Navigate SEND Compass](https://www.navigatesend.com/hs-fs/hubfs/NavigateSEND-compass-icon-512x512-transparent.png?width=75&height=75&name=NavigateSEND-compass-icon-512x512-transparent.png "Navigate SEND Compass") Company - [About Us](https://www.navigatesend.com/about-us) - [Services](https://www.navigatesend.com/services) - [Resources](https://www.navigatesend.com/navigate-send-resources) - [Contact](https://www.navigatesend.com/contact-us) Who We Help - [For Families](https://www.navigatesend.com/navigate-for-families) - [For Schools](https://www.navigatesend.com/for-schools) - [For Case Managers](https://www.navigatesend.com/navigate-for-case-managers) - [For Financial Deputies](https://www.navigatesend.com/funding-support-for-financial-deputies) Cookie Settings · [Privacy Policy](https://www.navigatesend.com/privacy-policy) · [Legal](https://www.navigatesend.com/legal) · © 2026. 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