Carmarthenshire Childcare offer full roll out underway…..

Carmarthenshire County Council have been working in close  partnership with Ceredigion County Council over the last few months to prepare for full roll out of the Childcare Offer from 7^th January 2019, in line with the start of the new Spring academic term.

Eligible working parents will receive a combined total of 30 hours of early education and childcare during term time. The current free early education provided by the Foundation Phase will form part of this offer.  For 9 weeks of the year, outside of term time, parents will receive 30 hours per week of childcare.

A successful briefing session for childcare providers was held in mid October 2018 at the Halliwell Centre Carmarthen, facilitated by both Local Authorities.  The session was well attended with over 110 childcare providers present. Childcare providers were given the opportunity to find out more about the offer, the registration and application process, as well as provided with information about various grants and support available to enable expansion opportunities. The vast majority of Carmarthenshire’s registered childcare providers/settings have now registered and signed contracts with Ceredigion County Council to deliver the childcare offer to eligible parents.

To date over 200 applications from Carmarthenshire parents and carers have been received by Ceredigion County Council, and over 150 of these have been successfully processed. This will significantly benefit many working families who have been struggling to pay for formal childcare.

For further information about the childcare offer, including support to register if you have not already done so, please contact Carmarthenshire Family Information, Childcare and Play Team on 01267 246555 or visit Carmarthenshire FIS website :

 http://fis.carmarthenshire.gov.wales/childcare/providing-childcare/talk-childcare-offer-wales/