Flying Start: April 2017 to March 2018

It presents statistics from a management information set. For example, the numbers of children using Flying Start services, together with developing statistics about outcomes for Flying Start children.

Main points

• 36,869 children benefited from, that is, were in receipt of Flying Start services in Wales at any time in 2017-18. This exceeded the expected numbers by 2%, but was a 2% fall on the number of children in receipt of services in 2016-17 (37,628).
• Flying Start children (on the health visitor caseload) of all ages up to age 4 were seen an average of 6.9 times during 2017-18 by health visitors and members of the wider health team, slightly less than in 2016-17 (7.0 contacts per child).
• 87% of offers of childcare in a Flying Start childcare setting were taken up during 2017-18. This is, a slight fall since 2016-17 (88%).
• 93% of children aged 3 and living in Flying Start areas were on roll at a maintained school (2017). A small decrease from 94% in 2016.
• 34% of babies born to mothers living in Flying Start areas were fed any breast milk at 10 days old. This is compared to 50% of those in non-Flying Start areas (2016).
• 82% of children living in Flying Start areas were fully immunised by their 4th birthday (2017-18), no percentage change since 2016-17.
• Flying Start areas have a lower prevalence (71%) of healthy weight children than non-Flying Start areas (74%) (2015-16 and 2016-17).