Will the Minister reconsider the decision to further suspend new applications for the childcare offer for a further two months?
I considered a number of factors in reaching the decision to suspend the Childcare Offer to new entrants until September at the earliest and will not be reconsidering the position at this stage.
I appreciate the difficulties many families will be facing and for this reason we will continue to fund childcare for pre-school aged children of critical workers as well as pre-school aged vulnerable children until the end of August. The Offer will also be available again very shortly to children who were eligible for, and accessing it in March 2020 and who remain eligible. I will be keeping these arrangements under continuous review, taking into account the diverse needs of families and childcare providers, the money we have available for Government-funded childcare and the spread of Covid-19.
I set out my intentions for Government-funded childcare on 9 June and a copy of the statement can be found here:
https://gov.wales/written-statement-childcare-offer-and-coronavirus-childcare-assistance-scheme