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Update on Childcare in Flintshire

Published: 26/03/2020

Flintshire County Council’s Early Years and Family Support Services are working hard to manage the current situation around Covid-19 in partnership with UK government, Welsh government, Public Health Wales and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board.

Advice and guidance issued by government and other public health bodies is constantly being updated and this will be available to the sector quickly via regular updates by the Family Information Service.   Communication will be mainly via:

Email fisf@flintshire.gov.uk

Twitter @FISFlintshire and

Facebook facebook.com/Family-Information-Flintshire-Gwybodaeth-i-Deuluoedd-Sir-y-Fflint

Childcare providers can also liaise with their usual contacts through Flying Start, Childcare Offer and Early Entitlement.  We need to ensure that communications are regular and consistent. For Flying Start, Childcare Offer and Early Entitlement services this message is the same.

Childcare settings are not being required to close.  Flintshire will maintain payments for childcare provided under Flying Start, childcare offer and early education.

Schools with on-site registered childcare provision should remain open, even though statutory school education has been suspended.  We will continue to work with childcare providers and parents and further information will be available over the coming weeks.

The government advice is very clear that children should remain at home wherever possible. However, families of designated key workers (as described in the list issued by Welsh Government) should be able to access emergency childcare if they need it to undertake their roles where there is no other safe alternative.

Flintshire County Council has issued clear guidance on how families should be prioritised in line with the Welsh Government guidance:

  • Category 1 - a single parent with a role on the list defined as critical to the Covid-19 response from Welsh Government
  • Category 2 - where both parents have roles on this list
  • Category 3 - a parent from a family unit who does not qualify under categories 1 and 2 above, and has a role on this list; and where there is an explicable and genuine reason why they need to access provision.

Childcare providers can seek further clarification from the Family Information Service or their usual local Authority contact.