A major expansion of childcare provision and fresh action to tackle child poverty are at the heart of plans being rolled out by the Welsh Government, as Deputy First Minister and Minister for Social Justice and Equality Sioned Williams outlined her priorities in the Senedd.

The measures form part of the Welsh Government’s first 100-day commitments and include the creation of a new expert steering group to help deliver what ministers say will become the most generous childcare offer anywhere in the UK.

The newly established Expansion of Childcare Expert Steering Group will play a key role in shaping the phased rollout of funded childcare across Wales. Its work will focus on workforce planning, improving access for families and simplifying the application process.

The Welsh Government is already working with local authorities to accelerate the delivery of 12.5 hours of funded childcare for all two-year-olds. Longer-term plans aim to provide up to 20 hours of funded childcare each week for every child aged between nine months and four years.

Ministers say the expanded childcare offer will help families manage rising living costs, support parents into work and improve opportunities for children during their early years.

Alongside childcare reforms, progress is also being made on the Cynnal pilot, the proposed Welsh Child Payment. An expert group is being established to help shape the scheme, with the Deputy First Minister co-chairing the group alongside Steffan Evans, Chief Executive of the Bevan Foundation.

The payment is intended to provide direct financial support to families and forms part of wider efforts to reduce child poverty across Wales. Recent figures have shown that around three in ten children in Wales are living in relative income poverty, highlighting the scale of the challenge facing policymakers.

The Welsh Government has also committed to producing a new child poverty strategy featuring clear targets, benchmarks and milestones. Campaigners and organisations including the Children’s Commissioner for Wales have previously called for more measurable objectives to track progress.

The Deputy First Minister said the new administration had inherited “stubbornly high levels of child poverty” and was determined to address them.

She said: “We are committed to reducing poverty and improving life chances for children and families with an ambitious new child poverty strategy which reflects what the sector has been asking for – clear targets, benchmarks and milestones.

“Our childcare offer is the most ambitious in the whole of the UK and I’m pleased that work to deliver it in line with our First 100 Days Plan is progressing well, including establishing an Expert Group that will drive the work forward.”

The announcement also highlighted wider priorities, including efforts to tackle violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence, as well as promoting integration, community cohesion and equality across Wales.

Marking Pride Month, the Deputy First Minister also paid tribute to the contribution of LGBTQ+ communities and reaffirmed the Welsh Government’s commitment to dignity, respect and inclusion.

She added: “Our priorities set a clear and deliverable course of action that will lead to tangible results across Wales. They are tightly and clearly focused on the pressures people living in Wales face, the support they need, and the kind of nation we want to build together across all parts of Wales.”