Eleven areas across Wrexham to take part in Welsh Government’s free childcare scheme

If you are a working parent and have a child or children aged between three and four years old you may be eligible for free childcare and early education from September.

Eleven areas across Wrexham have been selected to participate in ‘Taking Wales Forward’, a Welsh Government scheme providing 30 hours a week of government funded early education and childcare for working parents of three and four year old children for up to 48 weeks of the year.

The “Childcare Offer for Wales” has now been tested and used in several areas in Wales since 2017 and from September it will be available to eligible parents in a limited number of areas in Wrexham.

Eleven areas have been selected to take part from September 2018, including: Bronington, Coedpoeth, Gresford East and West, Gwersyllt, Holt, Llay, Marford and Hoseley, New Broughton, Overton, Ponciau and Rossett.

It is planned to roll out the offer to the whole of the county by September 2020.

Cllr Bill Baldwin, lead Member for children’s services, said the initiative will be an “attractive offer to many families” across Wrexham.

“This is an excellent initiative and I am very pleased that parents in Wrexham will soon be able to benefit from it,” continued Cllr Baldwin.

“A lack of affordable child care is one of the major obstacles to parents returning to work and this free childcare and early education access will certainly be attractive to many families.

“We’ll be issuing further information as soon as it is available and we will of course keep you informed.”