More than 3,300 children have benefited from the Welsh
Government’s ground-breaking childcare offer during its first
year, Minister for Children, , announced today.
The Welsh Government is committed to providing 30 hours a week of
government-funded early education and childcare for working
parents of 3 and 4 year olds, for up to 48 weeks of the year. The
30 hours is made up of the existing minimum of 10 hours of
Foundation Phase and up to 20 hours of childcare with a
registered provider.
The childcare offer is currently being roll-out across Wales, and
is available in at least some areas in half of Wales’ 22 local
authorities. It will be available across the country by 2020.
During the offer’s first year:
- 3,395 children have taken up places in settings offering the
childcare offer;
- More than 574 providers are taking part in the offer.
During a visit to Buds to Blossoms Day Nursery in Ebbw Vale,
Blaenau Gwent, the Minister also confirmed that following
positive discussions with local authorities and using robust
modelling, he is increasing the pace of expansion over the coming
months and into 2019, having listened to working parents who
wanted the Offer rolled sooner.
Since the introduction of the childcare offer at the nursery, the
number of childcare workers employed there has increased from 8
to 26 – split over two sites.
By the beginning of 2019, every local authority in North Wales
will be delivering the offer to eligible parents. The Vale of
Glamorgan, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, Merthyr Tydfil,
Bridgend, Monmouthshire, Swansea and Neath Port Talbot are
proposing to deliver the offer across their local authorities
during 2019.
Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Caerphilly and
Ceredigion are already providing the offer across their areas to
eligible parents. Newport will be delivering the Offer across
their entire authority from October and Cardiff will begin
once all the IT application systems are fully functioning and
tested.
Minister for Children, said:
“Since taking up post as Minister for Children in November 2017,
I’ve seen for myself how well-received our ground-breaking
childcare offer is among families right across the country.
“I’m delighted so many children and their families have benefited
from the childcare offer during the first year. It’s allowing
parents to either take-up or return to work – which is not only
good for the Welsh economy, but it’s also reducing strain on
family incomes.
“But that’s not all – our offer is helping to create high quality
childcare jobs in communities across Wales, delivering on the
Welsh Government’s pledge to help create better jobs, closer to
people’s homes.”
ENDS
Notes:
- The Offer began in September last year with Anglesey/Gwynedd,
Flintshire, Blaenau Gwent, Swansea, Rhonda Cynon Taf and
Caerphilly.
- In June, the Minister announced a further expansion of the
Childcare Offer with a further 7 local authorities coming on
board at the beginning of September. This doubled the amount of
local authorities taking part in the early implementation of the
Offer. The further 7 local authorities taking part are
Ceredigion, Wrexham, Conwy, Newport, Cardiff, Neath Port Talbot
and Torfaen.
