- 27/06/2019
- Posted by: David Rees MS
- Category: News
Aberavon AM David Rees, has welcomed research that shows the Welsh Governments childcare offer is benefitting low income families. By putting more money back into their pockets and allowing them to take up more work or training, the offer is making a real difference.
The research shows that –
- 80% of the lowest earning parents in each household accessing the offer earn less than the average salary in Wales.
- 88% of surveyed parents reported having more disposable income as a result of accessing the offer, and
- 67% reported the offer gave them more opportunities to increase their future earnings.
The Welsh Government is committed to providing 30 hours a week of government-funded early education and childcare for working parents of 3 and 4 year olds, for up to 48 weeks of the year.
More than 3,300 children have benefited from the Welsh Government’s ground-breaking childcare offer during its first year.
David Rees AM Said: “This ground-breaking childcare offer is making a real difference to families in Aberavon”.
“This research shows that it is particularly making a difference to low income families who are struggling most with the consequences of Tory made austerity”
“Welsh Labour is on their side and unlike the government in Westminster is offering them
Arad Research, in partnership with NatCen Social Research, was commissioned by the Welsh Government in August 2017 to undertake an independent evaluation of the first year of early implementation of the Childcare Offer in Wales.
- 60% of all parents accessing the Offer (and 80% of the lowest earners in households) accessing the Offer earned the equivalent or less than the median population earnings in Wales;
- 67% reported having more flexibility in the types of jobs they do and the hours they work; and 60% reported having more opportunities for training;
- Access to the offer had encouraged 40% of parents surveyed to access more hours of formal childcare, and 16% of parents say they now use less informal childcare in favour of more formal childcare;
ENDS
Notes
The research is available on the Welsh Government website here: https://gov.wales/statistics-and-research/evaluation-childcare-offer-wales/?lang=en
