'Free' childcare scheme reopens in Wales

The deputy minister for health and social care has announced Wales’ Childcare Offer providing 30 hours of education to parents of 3 and 4-year olds is set to reopen.

The Childcare Offer was suspended in April to allow resources to be refocused, to support the childcare needs of critical workers and vulnerable children. As of the last week of the school term, just over 9,000 children were accessing this scheme.

However, as Wales moves to ease more lockdown restrictions and with schools set to return from September, deputy minister for health and social care Julie Morgan confirmed the offer will reopen for applications enabling families to start accessing the funded childcare.

Ms Morgan said: “We have been working with our partners in recent weeks to explore our options for restarting the Offer. I feel extremely indebted, especially to local authorities, for the way they have risen to the challenges of the past few months, administering the Coronavirus Childcare Assistance Scheme and supporting families with their very diverse and often complex needs.

“Childcare providers have been fantastic too, many of whom stayed open when the virus was at its most prevalent to ensure that critical workers were able to contribute effectively to the national effort against the pandemic.

“Many families will have suffered financial hardship as a result of COVID-19. Some workers will have been hit harder than others and we know that for many women childcare has been a real barrier in terms of their capacity to work. Bringing the Offer back will not only help parents, but it is crucial for providers too in supporting their businesses to recover after what has been a period of great uncertainty and anxiety for many.”

Parents who would have been eligible for the Offer in the summer term, but who missed out on a full term because they had not started taking up the Offer before the pandemic, will be able to submit their applications from mid-August.

Applications from parents whose child becomes eligible for the Offer in the autumn term will be considered from the start of September onwards.

As before COVID-19, local authorities will also be able to make use of the Additional Support Grant to ensure any child with additional needs can benefit from the Offer in the same way as other children.

’This decision will give some certainty to the sector, making nurseries more sustainable’

Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of NDNA Cymru, said: “It’s good news that the Welsh government is to reopen the Childcare Offer to new entrants and that they are continuing to review the funding rates paid to providers.

“On average, nurseries have told us they have around half their usual numbers of children attending, so this decision will give some certainty to the sector, support parents and go towards making nurseries more sustainable.”

The NDNA chief also praised childcare providers for going above and beyond during lockdown and making their settings safe for staff and children but warned changes such as increased cleaning, working with smaller groups and installing new facilities all come at a cost.

Ms Tanuku said: “We have seen some countries make transitional funds available to support nurseries and childcare settings with these adjustments.

“In our recent survey, increased operating costs and lower occupancy meant over 60 per cent of providers expected to operate at a loss for the coming few months. This is clearly not sustainable for nurseries or the families who need those childcare places as they return to work.”

Later this week updated guidance will be published for childcare settings on how they can operate safely, taking into account the first minister’s announcement last Friday children under 11 do not need to socially distance.

Details on the timing and how to apply will be available on local authority websites and through Family Information Services