Includes eligibility for Flying Start, the benefits of early years childcare, the length of funded childcare sessions and parenting support.
Contents
Overview
12.5 hours of Flying Start childcare is gradually being made available to all 2 year olds across Wales starting with the most disadvantaged areas first.
Families in disadvantaged areas with children under 4 years old receive additional help:
- funded high quality, part-time (12.5 hours a week) childcare for 2 year olds
- an enhanced health visiting service
- access to parenting support
- support for speech, language and communication development
How to access Flying Start
Eligibility to Flying Start is often shared with parents during their antenatal care. Health visitors and local Flying Start teams also contact families to inform them.
If you haven’t been contacted, check if you can get help by contacting your Family Information Service.
Eligible areas
Funded childcare is gradually being made available to all 2 year olds across Wales starting with the most disadvantaged areas first. This is a phased roll out, taking account of the capacity within the childcare sector.
Flying Start as a whole only targets geographic areas with the highest proportions of children from birth to 3 years old living in income benefit households. Anyone living in a Flying Start areas can access the programme.
Each local authority decides how to ensure that families have access to the support services that they need. Local authorities have some of flexibility to support families to access the programme outside of the designated Flying Start areas.
Eligible childcare settings
You may live in an area that becomes eligible for Flying Start childcare. If you are using a childcare setting that is not yet registered to provide Flying Start childcare, you:
- may need to change provider to access funded childcare through a Flying Start setting
- or your current provider may wish to apply to provide Flying Start childcare
Benefits of Flying Start childcare
The Flying Start childcare workforce is qualified to support children’s development and supplement the nurturing traditionally provided by parents and carers.
Quality childcare contributes to the acquisition of skills and abilities, socialisation and the ability to play and concentrate. These are crucial, not only to a child’s subsequent ability to learn, but also to participate effectively in groups.
Research suggests that quality early childhood play, learning and care Early Childhood Play, Learning and Care (ECPLC) leads to improvements in children’s development in later years, such as:
- enhanced language skills
- better educational performance in mathematics and reading
- an increase in positive behaviour
Children who attend quality early years settings are:
- more independent
- concentrate on their play for longer
- are more co-operative and better prepared when they start school.
The provision of funded childcare may also enable parents to work or access training and education opportunities that may not have otherwise been possible.
Childcare sessions
Flying Start childcare sessions are 2.5 hours per day, 5 days a week. The evidence shows that shorter, more frequent higher quality sessions lead to the best outcomes for the child.
There is some flexibility in how the 5 sessions are used across the week if it is in the child’s best interests. This may include when a parent or carer requests a different arrangement because they attend a training course or go to work.
Parents and carers are able to supplement these hours if they need additional childcare provision.
Benefits of Welsh-medium childcare
There are several benefits to accessing Welsh-medium early years settings including when it is not the first language in your home such as:
- increased ability to focus
- higher cognitive function
- improved social and cultural relations
Children who can switch between languages, can often develop more flexible approaches to thinking through problems.
More information on the benefits of bilingualism and multilingualism
Parenting support
Families who are eligible to access the full Flying Start programme will be offered courses to enhance their parenting skills. This will help them to support their child’s development, care and wellbeing.
If a family are accessing Flying Start childcare and require further Flying Start support, local authorities may have some flexibility to help via outreach.
Contact your local Family Information Service to find parenting support
You can also find:
Apply for the Childcare Offer when your child is 3
Soon after your child's third birthday, you need to apply for the Childcare Offer.
The Childcare Offer provides 30 hours a week of early education and childcare:
- 10 hours of early education for everyone
- up to 20 hours of childcare for most working parents and some parents in education and training with
Soon after your child's third birthday, apply for the Childcare Offer for Wales.