The Childcare Offer

Sioned WilliamsPlaid

14 July 2026, Plenary

Statement by the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality: Update on Early Years Childcare and Play

…develop the initial phasing and costs of the Government's ambitious commitment to deliver a universal childcare offer. Members will be aware that the Government is introducing a phased expansion of funded universal childcare, which, at full roll-out, will be the most generous offer in the UK…

Tagged for: “childcare offer”, “20 hours”, “funded childcare”, “expansion of childcare”…Translated from WelshOfficial Record

Dan ThomasReform

14 July 2026, Plenary

Statement by the First Minister: Legislation

…poverty—sadly, three decades of devolution has done little to eradicate poverty in Wales, and giving free childcare to all families, even those where the parents are millionaires, isn't going to make the impact the Government expects. I understand the aim is for parents to be able to go out and…

Tagged for: “free childcare”Official Record

Rhun ap IorwerthPlaid

14 July 2026, Plenary

Questions to the First Minister

I thank the Member for drawing attention to the genuine pressure that exists, which is caused by childcare costs. Even though my children are getting older now, I remember clearly the heavy costs involved in providing childcare, and we as a Government are determined to help, with regard to the…

Tagged for: “childcare costs”, “childcare offer”, “funded childcare”, “two-year-olds”…Translated from WelshOfficial Record

Mair RowlandsPlaid

14 July 2026, Plenary

Questions to the First Minister

Thank you, First Minister, for that response. As one with direct recent experience of the impact that childcare costs can have on family budgets, I was so pleased to stand on a manifesto that committed to introducing a transformational childcare scheme. I'm also pleased to see the Government…

Tagged for: “childcare costs”Translated from WelshOfficial Record

Rhun ap IorwerthPlaid

14 July 2026, Plenary

Questions to the First Minister

Well, as I said earlier, the Government is accelerating the roll-out of 12.5 hours of funded childcare for all two-year-olds across Wales. The additional funding in the supplementary budget should enable local authorities to make progress on this first phase of the expansion. I am pleased that…

Tagged for: “funded childcare”, “two-year-olds”Translated from WelshOfficial Record

Mair RowlandsPlaid

14 July 2026, Plenary

Questions to the First Minister

9. What steps is the Welsh Government taking to expand the childcare scheme for two-year-olds and to fully introduce the scheme throughout Wales? OQ64411

Tagged for: “two-year-olds”Official Record

Rhun ap IorwerthPlaid

14 July 2026, Plenary

Questions to the First Minister

I mean, the costings around the childcare offer have been made public, and they are very much a part of the supplementary budget that is due to be voted on today. The childcare offer is made up of a specific fund of £55 million that is going to be partly in capital, partly in resource, to make sure…

Tagged for: “childcare offer”, “two-year-olds”Official Record

Dan ThomasReform

14 July 2026, Plenary

Questions to the First Minister

…we know this figure is somewhere in Plaid Cymru HQ: what are the initial costings of Plaid Cymru's childcare offer?

Tagged for: “childcare offer”Official Record

Sioned WilliamsPlaid

8 July 2026, Plenary

Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice

…moving into employment are two hugely important elements in terms of the work in tackling poverty. So, funded childcare can make a huge difference to families by reducing their costs, as I mentioned. The impact of the funded childcare programme will be monitored and evaluated carefully throughout…

Tagged for: “funded childcare”Translated from WelshOfficial Record

Marc JonesPlaid

8 July 2026, Plenary

Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice

Thank you, Cabinet Minister. As you've said, Wrexham has joined with Swansea, Merthyr Tydfil and Newport councils to expand their childcare offer to every two-year-old following that investment of £55 million by the Welsh Government. Currently, nearly 8,000 children in Wrexham live in poverty, and…

Tagged for: “childcare offer”Translated from WelshOfficial Record

Sioned WilliamsPlaid

8 July 2026, Plenary

Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice

We have announced an additional investment of £55 million in childcare, with Wrexham among the first areas to extend funded childcare provision to all two-year-olds. We are also developing our Cynnal child payment, as well as a new child poverty strategy, with clear, measurable targets to improve…

Tagged for: “funded childcare”, “two-year-olds”Translated from WelshOfficial Record

Sioned WilliamsPlaid

8 July 2026, Plenary

Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice

…point of the policy is trying to make sure that every family and child in Wales who wants to access funded childcare, to be helped with the cost of living, can do so. As we know, we have the highest cost of childcare anywhere in the UK. We know this is impacting families. This is impacting them in…

Tagged for: “funded childcare”, “cost of childcare”Official Record

Sarah Cooper-LesaddReform

8 July 2026, Plenary

Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice

Thank you. On the childcare offer, could the Minister tell us exactly how many additional childcare places the pledge actually requires—whether there is a specific figure?

Tagged for: “childcare offer”Official Record