Nursery services can reopen but no new applicants for free childcare scheme yet

NURSERIES and childcare settings in Wales “can start planning” to reopen in line with schools on June 29, the Welsh Government has said.

Deputy minister for health and social services Julie Morgan also confirmed the state-funded 30 hours of free childcare would remain suspended to new applicants “until at least the end of August”.

No firm details have been provided on the reopening of other settings, like nurseries and childminders, but Cardiff North MS Ms Morgan said the Welsh Government was “aiming to enable childcare settings to increase their operations from June 29, alongside our schools”.

She added: “While a final decision on this will be taken on June 18, as part of our next review of restrictions, childcare settings can start planning to restart their provision.”

Parents of children aged three and four who already qualify for the Welsh Government’s Childcare Offer, which provides up to 30 hours of early education and funded childcare per week for 48 weeks of the year, will still be able to use the scheme when settings reopen “if they remain eligible,” Ms Morgan said.

She added that when the “impacts of the coronavirus outbreak began to be felt across Wales” in mid-March the Welsh Government committed to continue payments for hours of childcare booked under the scheme for three months from March 18 even if the setting was closed or the child did not attend. That commitment was time-limited, recognising that for many settings that certainty of funding would be key to them remaining viable,” said Ms Morgan. But she said after June 29 “other forms of support will be necessary” as a new phase begins.

“For that reason we will not be renewing the commitment made on

March 18 in respect of payments for childcare booked under the offer. Going forwards we will only make these payments where the setting is open and the child is in regular attendance... However where a setting is closed, or a child is no longer in regular attendance, we will not meet those costs.

“We will be working with our partners in the coming weeks and months to support the childcare sector to recover. Guidance to support settings to reopen and to operate safely will be published this week.”

Ms Morgan also confirmed the Welsh Government will continue to fund the care of pre-school-age children of key workers and also vulnerable youngsters through the summer.