What is the Childcare Offer?
Provide working parents of 3 and 4 year olds with:
- 30 hours of combined FPN and childcare per week for up to 39 weeks of school term time
- 30 hours of childcare only per week for up to 9 weeks of school holidays (pro rata)
- Help with their childcare costs for up to 48 weeks of the year
The division of hours is determined by the setting in which parents access their FPN entitlement:
- Cylch meithrin/playgroup
- 10 hours FPN per week
- 20 hours childcare per week
- Nursery class within a school
- 12.5 hours FPN per week
- 17.5 hours childcare per week
This offer builds on children’s previous Foundation Phase Nursery (FPN) education entitlement during term time.
What does it mean for me as a provider?
You could receive funding for eligible children accessing the offer in your setting.
You will need to be registered with:
- Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW)
- Your local authority (as a Childcare Offer supplier)
So long as the provider has registered as a supplier of the Offer, parents can choose to use:
- Any childcare provider within Ceredigion
- Providers from outside of the county
Do I need to deliver the Foundation Phase Nursery to deliver the childcare element of the offer?
No. Children can access multiple providers to make use of the Childcare Offer. This includes:
- Maintained settings for FPN education only
- Non-maintained settings for FPN education and childcare
- Non-maintained settings for childcare only
Do I need to be able to deliver the offer for 48 weeks per year to take part?
No. Parents can access the offer through different providers that best suit their circumstances.
You can still deliver the Childcare Offer if you offer:
- Term-time provision only
- School holiday provision only
Uptake will be dependent on the needs of the parents.
How much will I get paid?
All providers will receive a rate of £5.00 per hour for children receiving the childcare element of the offer.
Can I charge parents a top-up rate?
No. You cannot charge hourly top-up rates if you’d normally charge more than £5.00 per hour.
Can I charge for food and additional activities?
Yes. If necessary, you can charge parents for additional elements, such as:
- Food
- Transport
- Off-site activities which incur a cost
The Welsh Government calculates food charges as follows:
- Meal: £2.50
- Snack: 75p
According to Welsh Government Guidelines, parents should not be charged more than:
- £9.00 per full day (approximately 10 hours)
- To include 3 meals and 2 snacks
- £5.75 per half-day session (approximately 5.5 hours)
- To include 2 meals and 1 snack
- 75p per session where there is a snack but no meal
How will I get paid?
Payments made through the national digital system can be claimed weekly or monthly in arrears. The money should be in your bank account within 72 hours. (Please note that claims made through the Additional Support Grant route may take longer due to the need for the local authority to approve the payment)
Parents/children already accessing the Childcare Offer at the point of roll out of the new service will remain on the current LA systems. Therefore, payments for those children will continue to be made through Ceredigion County Council.
You will receive payments from Ceredigion County Council in arrears for the previous month. In order to ensure this:
- Payment claims MUST be submitted within the first four working days of the month
Failure to complete the claims on time will mean you will not get paid.
How do I take part?
The new national digital service will go live this Autumn. All providers will need to register to the new system to accept children from January 2023.
To register on the new national digital service, click here:
If you have any difficulties completing the form, email gofalplant@ceredigion.gov.uk.
Questions & Answers for Providers