Russell George MS is calling on the Welsh Government to give working parents of 2-year-olds the same free childcare offer that parents in England will receive from April.
 
In England, from April 2024 all working parents of two-year-olds will be eligible to receive 15 hours of free childcare per week. From September 2024 this will be extended to parents of 9 months old babies and older, and from September 2025, the hours of free childcare will be extended further, to 30 free hours per week.
 
In Wales, it is the responsibility of the Welsh Labour Government to put in run childcare schemes such as what is in place in England. Whist a scheme which is called Flying Start is in place, the different offer means that working parents of two-year-olds in Wales will not be eligible to receive 15 hours of free childcare per week as is available in England.
 
Montgomeryshire MS, Russell George has last week (31/1/24) raised the matter with the Minister for Social Justice, Jane Hutt MS in the Senedd.
 
Following the exchange in the Senedd, Montgomeryshire MS, Russell George said:
 
‘’It’s clear to me that the Welsh Government do not have the same urgency to provide the same access to free childcare as afforded to parents living over the border.
 
I asked the Minister a straightforward question, and I pointed out that in England, all working parents of two-year-olds will receive 15 hours per week of free childcare from April of this year. I went on to ask the Minister to confirm that this will be the case in Wales.
 
I was disappointed that the Minister couldn’t make the same commitment, as has been made by the UK Government for parents living in England. I have had many local people contact me questioning why the Welsh Governments own scheme which is called flying start does not provide the same offer, and why the support in Wales is dependent on where you live in Wales and your postcode, rather than being available to all.
 
This is a significant issue which is impacting parents and their opportunities within the workplace. Indeed, there is a great deal of frustration that parents will not receive the same level of access to free childcare, as people living just over the border.  The Welsh Government needs to roll out this scheme to all two-year-olds, as is the case in England”.