Written question WQ97082

The UK Government and Welsh Government approaches to funded childcare are very different. We have established programmes of support for children and families in the context of the needs here in Wales. Our Early Childhood Play, Learning and Care approach in Wales places the child and child development at the heart of everything we do, and recognises that affordable, available and accessible childcare supports parents to return to work, education or training, supporting our economy and tackling poverty.

We are making an additional £50m available in 2025-26, taking the total budget to more than £150m to sustain and grow high quality childcare in Wales.

Our current focus remains on delivering a phased expansion of Flying Start childcare to include all two-year-olds. In 2025-26 we will invest £25m of the £50m additional funding for further expansion of high quality Flying Start childcare across Wales – Phase 3 of the expansion. This will bring Wales a step closer to the universal provision of childcare for all two-year-olds. This additional funding will make a significant difference to the lives and outcomes of thousands of children across Wales in all Local Authority areas and offer opportunities for more children to access Welsh Medium provision. The number of children reached by Phase 3 Flying Start will depend on take-up rates, but we would expect Phase 3 to reach more than 4,000 children in 2025-26.

All our government policies are kept under review for consideration in the next electoral cycle.