Families across Wales have been promised free childcare for all children aged nine months to four years by 2031, but the proposal could cost up to £500m a year.
Wales’ Deputy First Minister Sioned Williams told the Senedd on Tuesday July 14 that the Welsh Government’s core estimate for the full rollout is £375 million annually.
However, Ms Williams admitted under questioning that the final bill could rise to half a billion pounds depending on uptake
Ms Williams said: “Families of all children from nine months to four years across Wales should be able to access a more affordable, simpler, more consistent childcare offer by the end of this Senedd term.”
Describing childcare as “absolutely essential”, Ms Williams told the Siambr that whether or not to expand funded childcare is “not a question to discuss.”
She said: “The lack of affordable childcare is a societal problem to solve, and in solving it, we will deliver benefits that span across gender equality, early child development, tackling poverty, supporting our economy and improving our children’s health and educational outcomes.”
Ms Williams said work with economists and analysts was “ongoing”, and said factors such as workforce costs, training and development, additional learning needs and more will also be taken into account.
She pointed to the fact funded childcare was offered to nearly 75% of two-year-olds across Wales in 2025/26, the minister said: “We want to go further and ensure that what was promised by the previous Labour government, but not delivered, is fully implemented.”
Ms Williams highlighted the importance of the supplementary budget – which was later that day rejected – in enabling the childcare offer rollout.
She said: “At the start of this government term, three local authorities had succeeded in completing the roll-out of 12.5 hours of funded childcare to all two-year olds. One other local authority has reached every two-year-old child last month.
Reform’s Christiana Emsley, who is the party’s shadow minister for families, told the Deputy First Minister that “ambition is not the issue; preparedness is”.
