Explore Play Wales
The Deputy First Minister, Sioned Williams MS, has provided an update on the Welsh Government’s phased childcare expansion, setting out the phasing for a universal childcare offer for children aged nine months to four years.
The Welsh Government’s ambition is that, by the end of this Senedd term, families across Wales will be able to access a simpler and more consistent funded childcare offer for all children aged nine months to four years.
Work is ongoing to refine costs and delivery plans, including workforce capacity, training needs, support for children with additional learning needs, ensuring childcare providers have the facilities and resources to offer more places. The phases of the programme will focus on:
- completing the rollout of 12.5 funded hours of childcare for all two-year-olds across Wales
- increasing support for two-year-olds to 20 funded hours a week for 48 weeks, moving faster where local circumstances allow – working with childcare providers to extend the expanded offer to all three- and four-year-olds
- building on these offers before extending support to children aged nine months to two years.
The Welsh Government is working with local authorities, providers and sector representatives through its newly established Expansion of Childcare Expert Steering Group to support delivery. A workforce plan will be developed to support recruitment, retention and growth of the childcare workforce required to deliver the expanded offer.