Latest News

Welsh Government C-CAS – new childcare arrangements for pre-school children

Published: 07/04/2020

The Flintshire Early Years team (including Flying Start; Childcare Offer; Early Entitlement) is continuing to work closely with Welsh Government and CWLWM Partners (Early Years Wales, PACEY, NDNA, Mudiad Meithrin) to provide up to date guidance during this period of uncertainty.  

This will ensure consistent and accessible childcare is available to support critical workers and the most vulnerable children.  Please read this in conjunction with the most recent Welsh Government announcements updated here.

Welsh Government has released a press statement that it is launching a coronavirus childcare assistance scheme to support Wales’ critical workers.  The existing 3-4 year old funded childcare offer will be suspended for three months and will be replaced with the coronavirus childcare assistance scheme to support critical workers and vulnerable children.  

Under the new plans, councils will be able to use funding from the Welsh Government’s Childcare Offer to support registered childcare providers to care for pre-school-aged children of critical workers within the parameters of the guidance; those critical to the Covid-19 response. Children who are considered vulnerable by nominated individuals within Health and the Local Authority will also be included in the scheme.  

The changes will cover the next three months and provide care for children in Flintshire ages 0-4 (pre-school age).

The Flintshire Early Years team is working with colleagues and Welsh Government to develop the appropriate system to administer the new arrangements in line with the new guidance.  As we are trying to implement the arrangements, please keep your enquiries to a minimum to allow us to implement these changes as quickly as possible.  

If you do need to contact us, please contact the Family Information Service by email  – fisf@flintshire.gov.uk in the first instance.  We may have a time lag in responding as we work through the changes, and hope that you will understand this.  We ask for your patience during this time.

We intend to issue a letter from Flying Start to all Flying Start childcare settings, and from Early Years Support to all childcare settings, to communicate our plans and progress and to confirm arrangements with individual providers.