Welsh Government expands funded childcare for two-year-olds to 19 local authorities by month-end

The number of local authorities in Wales providing funded childcare for all two-year-olds is set to rise from three to 19 by the end of this month. This expansion follows a £55 million investment by the Welsh Government this year, with the remaining three local authorities expected to implement the offer by the end of March. Currently, the provision consists of 12.5 funded hours per week. For parents, this translates into a shift in household budgeting. Rhys Lee, whose daughter attends a nursery in Rhondda Cynon Taf-where the offer has been available since September-noted that the support provided a level of financial flexibility his family lacked when his first child was born, allowing for the funding of other developmental activities without the cost of private childcare. The current rollout is the first stage of a broader programme intended to establish a universal childcare offer for children aged nine months to four years. Under the government's plan, the entitlement for two-year-olds will eventually increase to 20 funded hours a week for 48 weeks of the year, before being extended to younger age groups.