Anglesey shares in £60m pot to enhance free childcare offer
ELEVEN projects in North Wales will benefit from a share of a £60m funding pot to make sure more parents can access the free childcare offer.
More than £2.5m will be spent developing seven schemes on Anglesey including a childcare setting in Ysgol Santes Dwynwen.
In Denbighshire, £2.7m will go towards four projects including the relocation of two Cylch Meithrin from unsuitable premises in Rhyl.
It comes after the Welsh Government gave the go-ahead for investment in 115 new or redeveloped childcare settings across Wales to help ensure parents in every part of the country can access its childcare offer.
The facilities are being developed as part of a £60m capital investment programme in the childcare sector.
Ministers are committed to providing 30 hours a week of government-funded early education and childcare for working parents of three and four 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 rolled out across Wales, and will be available across the country by next year. More than 5,000 eligible children are already benefiting from the offer.
The projects awarded funding will focus primarily on supporting the co-location of existing Foundation Phase education provision with the new childcare offer provision on a single site, wherever possible. This will make it as easy as possible for parents to access wrap-around care. The funding will either help establish new childcare settings or refurbish existing ones to ensure they meet the required standard that would be expected.
Local authorities have also secured funding to enable them to operate a Small Grants Scheme in their area, which will enable private and voluntary sector childcare providers to access up to £10,000 of capital funding to carry out work on their premises. Deputy minister for health and social services, Julie Morgan said: “I’m very pleased to announce the Welsh Government is giving the go-ahead to the development of 115 new or redeveloped childcare facilities across Wales, as part of a £60m capital investment programme to deliver our highly ambitious childcare offer.
“The investment we’re making will ensure the childcare offer is available to parents across Wales by ensuring there is sufficient childcare in the right areas, with a specific focus on developing new provision in areas that currently lack childcare services, in particular rural and disadvantaged areas. The investment will also support the growth and sustainability of the childcare sector across Wales, helping to create high-quality jobs in the sector.”