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A scheme offering 30 hours of childcare for working parents of three and four-year-olds has been expanded to more families – with parents in education and training, as well as parents on adoption leave, now eligible.

The Welsh Government’s Childcare Offer is also being streamlined with the introduction of a new digital platform.

Currently, the scheme is provided by local authorities individually, but the new digital platform will mean every council, parent and childcare provider across Wales will now use one single service.

The platform is available in both Welsh and English and can be accessed on mobile phones and tablets.

Parents eligible to receive the Childcare Offer from January 2023 will be able to apply now through the new service.

Parents already accessing the Childcare Offer will not need to do anything and will remain within their local authority system.

As of June, there were more than 18,000 children accessing childcare funded by the Childcare Offer

Launching the “groundbreaking” new platform, Wales’ Deputy Minister for Social Services, Julie Morgan, said having a single system used across the country would “ensure a simple, streamlined service for both parents and childcare providers.”

Mrs Morgan continued: “We are committed to supporting working families with the costs of childcare and it is fantastic we are able to increase the number of families accessing the Offer. I am pleased over 168 additional families so far have been helped by this expansion.

“Increasing support with childcare costs for parents in education and training reflects the value we place on supporting people to improve their employment prospects by gaining qualifications, retraining or changing career paths.”

The changes have been welcomed by Islwyn’s Labour Senedd Member, Rhianon Passmore.

Ms Passmore said: “The groundbreaking Childcare Offer is making a real difference to parents across Islwyn.

“I am committed to supporting working families with the costs of childcare, so I am pleased that the Welsh Labour Government is able to increase the number of families accessing the offer.”