Written question WQ97832
- Asked by
- Darren MillarConservative
- To be answered by
- Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 6 days
Question
What was the total spend on the Welsh Government's childcare offer in each of the past 3 years and what is the level of take-up?
Answer
Answered by Minister for Children and Social Care
The following numbers of children have accessed childcare through the Childcare Offer for Wales:
Year
Take-up Figures
Take-up Rate (All 3–4-year-olds)
Childcare Offer Payments
Sept 2022 – Aug 2023
-*
-
£69,923,994
Sept 2023 – Aug 2024
21,283
34%
£73,525,138
Sept 2024 – Aug 2025
22,330
36%
£75,992,789
*Comparable take-up figures for 2022-23 are not available. This is due to the Childcare Offer for Wales’ phased move from Local Authority reporting to the National Digital Service in that time period.
Expenditure on the Core Flying Start programme (the original Flying Start areas) and Phase 1 of the expansion includes all four elements of the Flying Start programme, including childcare for those aged 2 to 3. Expenditure on Phase 2 of the expansion programme (which began in April 2023) relates to childcare spending only.
2022-23
2023-24
2024-25
Core Flying Start (includes Expansion – Phase 1)
£77,411,785
£83,005,125
£86,513,458
Expansion – Phase 2
-
£13,032,277
£21,218,394
TOTAL
£77,411,785
£96,037,402
£107,731,852