Wrexham welcomes the Welsh Government’s announcement that their funded childcare offer for three and four-year-olds is to be expanded to a further seven local authorities across Wales, including Wrexham.
Under the childcare offer, working parents will receive a combined total of 30 hours of early education and childcare during term time and up to 30 hours per week for up to nine weeks of the school holidays. The current free early education provided by the Foundation Phase will form part of this offer.
Eligible parents will receive up to 48 weeks per year of funded childcare whilst their three and four-year-olds are attending Funded Early Education or Foundation Phase Nursery.
“Great news for parents”
Audrey Somerton Edwards, the Chair of the Wrexham Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership said: “The EYDCP is fully behind the implementation of this childcare offer. It gives Wrexham an opportunity to bring Early Years Education and childcare provision together in such a way as to benefit both.
“It is great news for Wrexham parents, children, Early Education and childcare providers”.
In North Wales, as one of the pilot authorities, Flintshire has led the development of the childcare offer, alongside Anglesey and Gwynedd, and it is now available in Wrexham and Conwy.
Flintshire will be lending their expertise to Wrexham Council as we introduce the Offer. In this way, Wrexham will be able to maximise take up by parents and childcare providers.
Wrexham parents can now apply online, via the Wrexham Family Information Service webpage or the Flintshire childcare offer webpage, through a link to the well-established Flintshire online system.
“Parents and providers are keen to take up this offer”
Cllr William Baldwin, Lead Member for Children’s Social Care Services, said:
“I am delighted that Wrexham has been selected by Welsh Government to implement the childcare offer as an Early Implementer from September this year.
This offer will help many more parents to go to work, knowing that their children are being looked after in a high quality setting.
“Parents and childcare providers in Wrexham are keen to take up this offer and we are confident that the excellent online system developed by Flintshire Council will make the process of applying as straightforward as possible”.
In Wrexham, the childcare offer will be implemented first in the following wards in September 2018: Bronington, Brymbo, Coedpoeth, Gresford East and West Gwersyllt East and South, Gwersyllt North, Gwersyllt West, Holt, Llay, Marford and Hoseley, New Broughton, Rossett, Overton and Ponciau.
Parents wanting to know more should contact the Wrexham Family Information Service on fis@wreham.gov.uk or 01978 292094. The rest of Wrexham will also go live during the following year, with the next roll out areas soon to be announced.
“Help to address childhood poverty”
Cllr Andrew Atkinson, Lead Member for Youth Services and Anti-Poverty said: “This offer will help to support the wellbeing of children and their families and will help to address childhood poverty in Wrexham directly by increasing working household’s disposable incomes”.
If parents living the first group of wards want to know if they are eligible for the childcare offer, they can check online here.
Further information can be obtained from the Wrexham Family Information Service on fis@wreham.gov.uk or 01978 292094.
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