Childcare Offer In Gwynedd
The Welsh Government has confirmed the Gwynedd communities that will initially be part of piloting the extended Childcare Offer for three and four year-olds.
As part of the pilot scheme, working parents will be provided with 30 hours of government-funded childcare and early education for three and four-year-olds for up to 48 weeks of the year.
As part of these efforts, Gwynedd Council is working with the Isle of Anglesey County Council to establish a dedicated joint team to manage the scheme from September 2017 onwards.
Sioned Owen from Gwynedd Council’s Early Years Unit said: “Ensuring suitable child care provision is vitally important for families. Parents need to be confident that they can depend on the best possible childcare facilities so that they can return to work, knowing that their child is being cared for.
“The pilot project will allow the Council to work with partners in the childcare sector to ensure that Gwynedd’s children receive the best start in life, to look in detail at provision in rural areas as well as helping to provide valuable employment opportunities in this important field.
“With full government funding available to realise the project, 1,200 children are expected to benefit from the project in the first year across Anglesey and Gwynedd, with the aim of extending across the whole of the area by 2020.
“Testing the offer jointly with Anglesey and Welsh Government will allow us to make sure we learn what works and what doesn’t, it will allow us to build on experience and evidence to deliver for working parents.”
As a first step, it is intended that the free child care for three and four year-olds will be available from September 2017 to families in:
– the well-being area of Bangor which includes Bethesda;
– the well-being area of Porthmadog, which includes Criccieth, Penrhyndeudraeth, Harlech and Garndolbenmaen;
– the well-being area of Ffestiniog which includes Blaenau Ffestiniog, Maentwrog, Trawsfynydd, Gellilydan and Llan Ffestiniog;
– the well-being area of Dolgellau which includes the area around Barmouth, Corris, Dinas Mawddwy, Dyffryn Ardudwy and Llanbedr.
In addition, from January 2018 onwards, the well-being area of Caernarfon which includes Bethel, Cwm y glo, Bontnewydd, Deiniolen, Llanberis, Groeslon, Llanllyfni, Clynnog Fawr, Llanrug, Llanwnda, Penisarwaun, Penygroes, Talysarn and Waunfawr will also benefit from the scheme. The scheme will be extended to additional areas during the pilot period with all Gwynedd communities included by 2020. The free child care offer will be available to eligible parents across all Gwynedd communities once it has been developed.
Parents or child care providers in Gwynedd who require further information are welcome to contact the childcare project locally on email: 30hourchildcare@gwynedd.llyw.cymru
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