Latest news with #FlyingStart
Rhyl Journal
4 days ago
- General
- Rhyl Journal
Denbighshire's Flying Start scheme expanded to more areas
The Flying Start programme, funded by the Welsh Government, now covers additional areas including Rhyl, Prestatyn, Meliden, Rhuddlan, Dyserth, Denbigh, Corwen, Llangollen, Llandrillo, and Llanfair DC. The scheme offers up to 12.5 hours of funded childcare per week during term time for families with a child who turned two between September 1, 2024, and August 31, 2025. Councillor Diane King, lead member for education, children, and families at Denbighshire County Council, said: "This latest expansion of the Flying Start scheme will mean that more Denbighshire families can now get access to the free childcare provision. "This assistance is a massive help for parents and families. "Residents in the newly expanded areas can check if their postcode is eligible through the postcode checker." The programme aims to give children the best start in life by supporting their early growth and development. A postcode checker is available on the Denbighshire County Council website to confirm eligibility. For more information, visit
South Wales Argus
18-07-2025
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Caerphilly libraries heading for closure may be saved
But a series of imminent closures risks sending parts of the borough 'back to Victorian times', a critic has warned. The council plans to shut down ten of its smaller libraries at the end of August as part of cost-cutting plans to make the service 'sustainable and resilient'. The local authority will instead 'focus resources on an improved offer at seven library 'hubs'', Cllr Carol Andrews, the cabinet member for education, told a committee on Tuesday July 15. Committee members heard there is local interest in Community Asset Transfers of the council libraries in Aberbargoed, Abertridwr, Llanbradach and Nelson. Meanwhile, the library buildings in Deri and Pengam have been 'identified as good locations' for the expansion of the Welsh Government's Flying Start childcare programme. This could involve some 'minor building work' at both sites, but the council's early years service has also confirmed it would 'be able to support an independent community library offer from each location'. Library closures will also be mitigated by a new Community Outreach Service, including order-and-collect options and digital offers. Council figures are keen to paint these potential developments as a success. Recently, Cllr Sean Morgan, who leads the authority, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the closures were 'something we have to do because of finances, and I see the opportunity there for communities'. The council has argued it would save £507,000 annually by shutting the libraries, and develop the 'hubs' into places where visitors can access local authority and third-sector services, as well as the usual book-borrowing. But there remains a vocal opposition to the library closures across the county borough. Campaigners have warned the council will isolate smaller communities by taking away important community spaces, to the detriment of their youngest, oldest or lowest-income residents. This week, Caerphilly Trades Union Council called libraries 'so much more than book depositories' and urged the local authority to rethink the closures. Its secretary, Mariam Kamish, told the committee that despite the council's optimism for community handovers and an outreach service, 'nothing in your plans can in any way replace bricks-and-mortar libraries with dedicated staff'. 'We don't want to go back to Victorian times when people had to run their own libraries,' she added. Senior council officer Rob Hartshorn defended the Community Asset Transfers, however, telling the committee it would offer a 'social return, instead of a financial return' to the local authority. The meeting also heard from Cllr Brenda Miles, who was a member of the committee until a recent row over the council's handling of the libraries issue ended in her being 'removed from all internal and external appointments'. Cllr Miles told the committee the imminent closures would mean a 'great loss' to the borough, and she expected 'by now' there to be a 'clear picture' of what comes next. The council report on the next steps 'raises more questions than answers', she added.
South Wales Argus
11-07-2025
- Business
- South Wales Argus
More families access free childcare through Flying Start
In Wales, the Flying Start programme has exceeded its targets during the second phase of the Welsh Government's expansion plan, which launched in April 2023 and aims to offer funded childcare to all two-year-olds. To date, more than 10,000 children have benefited from the scheme, surpassing the goal of reaching 9,500 additional children. Dawn Bowden, minister for children and social care, said: "This significant expansion has exceeded our targets, bringing quality early years support to thousands more children. "High quality early years provision helps to maximise child development outcomes and supports the best start in life. "I'm immensely proud of our Flying Start workforce for making this possible as we work towards universal childcare for all two-year-olds." Over the past two years, more than 13,400 children and families have been offered places, with 80 per cent taking up the offer in 2024-25. Flying Start offers 12.5 hours of free, high-quality childcare each week for eligible two-year-olds. The Welsh Government has invested an additional £25 million this year to expand the programme further, with a third phase expected to reach more than 4,000 additional children across Wales. The scheme also supports the government's goal of reaching one million Welsh speakers by 2050, with more than 2,000 places in phase two taken up at Welsh-medium settings. Mark Drakeford, cabinet secretary for finance and Welsh language, said: "It's encouraging to see more families choosing Welsh-medium childcare."
South Wales Argus
05-07-2025
- Politics
- South Wales Argus
Call for Flying Start to be extended in Blaenau Gwent
Flying Start is a Welsh Government funded programme, which provides intensive support services to families with children up to the age of three who lives in disadvantaged areas across Wales. The first Flying Start areas in Blaenau Gwent were set up in 2006 and around a third of the county borough comes under its wing. The pre-school service was brought up at a meeting of the council's Children 's Young People and Families scrutiny committee on Tuesday, July 1, due to fears children who are not receiving Flying Start support, start attending schools with behavioural problems and lacking in social skills. Key figure in Wales' glory years leaves Dragons after just a year in the job Drivers face delays of twenty minutes after two car collision A look at Caerleon's 'Festival of Arts' happening today with 10 days of fun The county borough hit the headlines last Christmas when it was revealed that parents had received a letter from the director of education, Dr Luisa Munro-Morris saying that parents would be contacted and expected to come to school to change their child if they had soiled themselves. Cllr Haydn Trollope (Labour) said: 'I'm aware there's a two-tier system, children that have gone through Flying Start and those who haven't due to where they live. 'It's a post code lottery.' He hoped that the council could research the issue and take their data findings and lobby the Welsh Government to fund rolling out Flying Start right across Blaenau Gwent. Cllr Trollope said that he had been told by head teachers that children who had been supported by Flying Start are 'easily identified' compared to those who had not. Cllr Sonia Behr (Labour) backed his call and said the issue had been brought up as part of councillors visits to schools. Cllr Behr said: 'A teacher took me to one side and said that the biggest problem is that children are coming to school unable to articulate themselves, hardly able to speak and he wondered if it was something to do with early usage for screens. 'I don't think it would be an enormous piece of work to make a comparison.' School's inclusion manager Julie Sambrook said that there was lots of information available as work tracking the comparison between Flying Start and non-Flying Start children had been taking place on the issue of toilet training. Ms Sambrook said: 'Health visitors have now established toilet training workshops in response. 'The impact of that is our teachers are actually able to teach because they are not out of class changing nappies all day.' She added that the council was already in touch with the Welsh Government about increasing Flying Start provision in Blaenau Gwent 'It's ongoing work,' said Ms Sambrook. Cllr Trollope added that being toilet trained was just one element, and that his concerns included children's social interaction with each other as well as learning to: 'use a knife and fork to feed themselves.' 'We need Flying Start all over the borough,' he stressed. Head of children's services, Loredana Moruz added that Flying Start also has an 'outreach programme' which can look at children who have been referred to it in areas not covered. The committee agreed that the research needs to be done.
South Wales Argus
29-05-2025
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Welsh Government pressure on Chancellor to tackle poverty
First Minister Eluned Morgan MS, Jane Hutt MS, and Mark Drakeford MS, are pushing for changes to social security policy, particularly advocating for the end of the two-child benefit rule. The calls come as the UK Spending Review nears its conclusion, with the Ministerial Group's work becoming increasingly crucial. The government warns that, without action, child poverty is set to rise by 100,000 children annually throughout the UK parliamentary term. The Welsh Government is also working with the Patriotic Millionaires, a group proposing alternative ways to raise significant funds to combat poverty without increasing taxes on working families. Successive Welsh Governments have implemented various measures to alleviate poverty, which they claim leave more money in the pockets of Welsh citizens. These measures include an inclusive childcare scheme for three and four-year-olds, help with school-related costs, expanding the Flying Start programme for children in disadvantaged areas, and a student support scheme. The Welsh Government says it has used its devolved powers to oversee the rollout of free school meals for all primary school children, increases to the Education Maintenance Allowance, and the Claim What's Yours initiative in a bid to tackle child poverty. The Welsh Benefits Charter, which has been adopted by 22 local authorities to increase the uptake of Welsh benefits, is another tool the government is using in the fight against child poverty. The Welsh Government continues to utilise its devolved powers to address child poverty and is calling on the Chancellor to consider various revenue-raising options to ensure funds are directed towards improving children's lives. The government remains committed to supporting children and families, especially those in disadvantaged areas, as the UK Spending Review draws to a close.
