November 05, 2026 - 170 views
More families across Wales are set to benefit from funded childcare for two-year-olds, with 19 of the country's 22 local authorities expected to be offering the scheme by the end of November.
The Welsh Government says all 22 councils are on track to deliver the offer by the end of March, marking a significant expansion of a scheme which was available in just three local authority areas when the government took office in May.
The rollout provides 12-and-a-half hours of funded childcare each week and is being supported by a £55 million investment in childcare this financial year.
The scheme is the first stage of a wider Welsh Government commitment to introduce funded childcare for all children aged nine months to four years by the end of the current Senedd term.
As the programme develops, the offer for two-year-olds is intended to increase to 20 funded hours a week for 48 weeks of the year, before being extended to younger children.
Deputy First Minister Sioned Williams said the expansion was an important step towards helping families with the cost of living and ensuring children had the best possible start in life.
The Welsh Government says the completed programme will create the most generous universal funded childcare offer anywhere in the UK.
