Families of all 2 year olds in Swansea can now benefit from free childcare through the Welsh Government’s Flying Start scheme.
The local authority becomes the second in Wales after Merthyr Tydfil to reach this key milestone.
Minister for Children and Social Care, Dawn Bowden, visited Swansea Children's Centre today to celebrate the achievement and see first-hand how high-quality childcare provision is making a difference to families and children in the area.
Families reported highly positive experiences of receiving Flying Start support in a national evaluation of the scheme published this week. The report found Flying Start childcare was consistently praised by participating families for supporting socialisation, independence, confidence and school readiness during their children’s crucial early years.
The Welsh Government is investing an extra £25 million this year to expand Flying Start childcare, bringing Wales closer to universal childcare for all 2 year olds. Flying Start provides fully funded, high quality childcare for two-and-a-half hours a day, 5 days a week.
The latest statistics show that between 2023 and 2025, the programme exceeded its target of supporting 9,500 additional 2 year olds. Childcare places were offered to over 13,400 children and families across Wales, with more than 10,000 children taking up a place.
Minister for Children and Social Care, Dawn Bowden said:
Our childcare programmes make a real difference for children and their families.
Today’s announcement is a key milestone in Flying Start’s journey and means every family in Swansea with a 2 year old is now able to access high-quality childcare provision.
Across Wales, we have prioritised rolling out Flying Start childcare to our more disadvantaged communities and made sure provision is sustainable before extending the programme to reach more two-year-olds.
This significant expansion for 2 year olds is part of a wider package of investment in the early years. Our total budget for high quality childcare this year is more than £150 million.
We will continue to work with local authorities so that we can give every child in Wales the best possible start in life.
Swansea Council Leader Rob Stewart said:
We are very grateful to our colleagues in Welsh Government for funding this initiative which is making a real difference to young children and their families.
I’m also proud that our team has worked hard to complete the roll-out so no matter where you live in Swansea, all parents and carers can now apply for Flying Start childcare across a range of settings and through both the medium of Welsh and English.
£30 million of additional funding for childcare in 2025 to 2026 was the result of the budget deal between the Welsh Government and Jane Dodds, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats.