Written Statement: Publication of the Early Childhood Play Learning and Care (ECPLC) in Wales Plan Annual Infographic

Today we are pleased to be publishing the Early Childhood Play, Learning and Care Plan - Annual Infographic. 

At the heart of Early Childhood Play, Learning and Care (ECPLC), is the child and meeting their development needs. ECPLC recognises childhood is precious and babies and young children play, learn and grow in different ways and to support that development they require care and nurturing. We are committed to breaking down barriers to ensure babies and young children are supported to have fulfilling and happy childhoods in the medium of Welsh, English or bilingually.

The infographic highlights the progress made on actions set out in the Early Childhood Play, Learning and Care plan in respect to quality of provision, access to provision and supporting and developing the childcare, playwork and nursery education workforce over the last year. 

We are proud to have:

• Committed more than £150m to sustain and grow high quality childcare in Wales, including an uplift in the hourly rate from £5.00 to £6.40 for the Childcare Offer from April 2025, and an uplift for the nursery education element of the Offer and the childcare element of Flying Start
• Made excellent progress rolling out high-quality childcare to two-year-olds across Wales through the Flying Start programme with a particular emphasis on strengthening Welsh medium provision
• Funded Mudiad Meithrin to deliver the Sefydlu a Symud / Set up and Succeed programme which has supported 79 Welsh medium provisions to open or expand with an additional 19 provisions currently being supported
• Provided £5m capital funding to local authorities in 2025-26 to support children’s inclusive access to play opportunities
• Supported Traumatic Stress Wales to pilot a new “Trauma Informed Practice, Skills and Strategies for (those working with) children and young people’ training course
• Funded local authorities to offer childminder pre-registration training and support
• Funded Diversity and Anti-Racist Professional Learningto deliver professional learning sessions to practitioners and leaders in early years settings
• Developed an enhanced leadership series of anti-racist learning for childcare, playwork and nursery education leaders
• Developed an animated explainer on how Community Focused Schools supports Equity in Education
• Published a refresh of the 'Wales - a Play Friendly Country' statutory guidance for local authorities
• Served over 50m free school meals since the launch in September 2022

We know more can always be done. So, we have also used this update as an opportunity to set out what else we will be doing to the end of this Senedd term.  We are committed to enabling all babies and young children across Wales to thrive through effective care, play and learning and development opportunities.