Will the Minister confirm what policy and guidance exists in relation to the additional expense of holiday clubs, after school clubs and wrap around care in primary special schools, in comparison to mainstream primary schools?
The Statutory guidance Childcare: statutory guidance for local authorities (gov.wales) sets out a local authority’s role in facilitating the provision of childcare. This guidance states that local authorities should give special consideration to specific groups of families including the childcare and play needs of families with children who have additional needs.
The guidance is intended to assist local authorities discharge their duty to:
- ensure sufficient childcare is available
- undertake childcare sufficiency assessments (CSAs); and
- provide information, advice and assistance relating to childcare to parents, prospective parents and those with parental responsibility or care of a child.
Local authorities receive allocated funding through the Children and Communities Grant for childcare and play, and to help address any identified gaps in their childcare sufficiency assessment (CSAs). Part of the purposes of this grant is to ensure special consideration and support is given to the childcare and play needs of families with children who have additional needs. However local authorities have discretion in determining how best to use this funding in order to support their local areas.