We work to ensure that there are high quality early years childcare and education places for all families in Flintshire and aim to create seamless pathways between childcare and school.
Finding a childcare provider
Choosing childcare is a hugely important decision for the whole family. The right childcare provider will help your child to learn, have fun and make new friends, as well as meeting all their day-to-day needs and providing peace of mind for you knowing your child is being well cared for.
Whatever your reason for wanting childcare, there are several options to meet your needs. Choosing the right childcare is important but can be difficult. How do you go about it? How do you know it is right? What do they expect from you? Will your child be able to go there from the early morning to the end of the school day, and do they do school pick-ups and drop offs? There is so much to think about. To help, you might want to read the Choosing Childcare Booklet.
This booklet will tell you about the benefits and different types of childcare available, where to find childcare and what financial support is available to help you with childcare costs.
Help paying for childcare
Childcare costs can be expensive. Below are details of the childcare options and support available that can help.
If you need further information contact the Family Information Service Team on fisf@flintshire.gov.uk.
Use this calculator to find out how much you could get towards registered childcare, including:
- free childcare for children aged between 2 and 4; and
- help with childcare costs if your child is under 16 (or under 17 and has additional needs).
It should only take around 10 minutes. You’ll need information about you and your partner (if you have one), including:
- how much you spend on childcare;
- any benefits you or your child gets; and
- your income.
Check what help you could get with childcare costs with the childcare calculator.
Childcare calculator external link
Tax-Free Childcare is a government scheme that pays 20% of childcare costs in a registered childcare setting up to a maximum of £2000 each year. The scheme is open to all parents of children under 12 (or under 17 if disabled). You can apply to open a Tax-Free Childcare account online.
Visit the Gov.uk website for details about tax free childcare.
Tax-Free Childcareexternal link
If you’re an undergraduate student who has children or there is an adult who relies on you financially during your studies, you can apply for extra funding.
Find out more on the Student Finance Wales website.
Students with childrenexternal link
Students in further education studying in Wales may be able to claim help with the cost of childcare from the Financial Contingency Fund. Contact your school or college for further information.
Registered childcare providers have a duty to provide an inclusive environment for all children.
Many of the childcare providers in Flintshire have facilities to care for children with developmental or emerging needs or will make reasonable adjustments to their premises. However, not every setting will be able to do this, so if you have a child who has needs, emerging development or medical needs, it is important that you discuss this with any childcare provider you are thinking of using.
Additional Support Grants
The purpose of these grants is to enable children with Additional Support Needs to access and participate fully in childcare.
The applications must be submitted by the childcare provider. Applications must be supported by a health, social care, childcare or educational professional/practitioner who understands and identifies the child’s need. All applications under this funding is discussed and actioned through an independent Panel.
1. Extra hand/1:1 support
- Some children may require additional support from a member of staff for part or all of the time that they are with their childcare provider.
- Funded childcare placements available through Flying Start, Childcare Offer, Childcare Grant, and Families First. Where we fund placements to support the child’s developmental needs, we will consider how we support the child to access the learning environment.
- Currently, additional support funding is not available for all children to access care provision, which is why we support settings to consider how they best meet the care needs of the children in their setting.
2. Equipment/Resources
- Funding for equipment and resources to enable children to participate fully. This varies depending upon the child’s needs, but could include additional learning materials or specialist play equipment.
- Capital funding provided by Welsh Government for small and large capital projects to help ensure a quality childcare setting and seamless pathways between childcare and schools.
3. Training for childcare providers
- Training on specific medical/healthcare/ developmental needs or more general training that is directly linked to the care for a specific child with additional support needs
- ALN awareness training for childcare workers
- Specific training for understanding autism, neuro-developmental needs and social communication needs
- Training on strategies as well as modelling strategies in the setting
- Observations at the setting to identify appropriate developmental targets for the child and refer to specialist services if needed
How we support childcare providers
Our Early Years team support childcare settings to achieve quality, inclusive environments, by providing:
- Training on specific medical/healthcare/developmental needs or more general training that is directly linked to the care for a specific child with additional support needs
- ALN awareness training for childcare workers
- Specific training for understanding autism, neuro-developmental needs and social communication needs
- Training on strategies as well as modelling strategies in the setting
- Observations at the setting to identify appropriate developmental targets for the child and refer to specialist services if needed
- Funding for equipment and resources to enable children to participate fully. This varies depending upon the child’s needs, but could include additional learning materials or specialist play equipment.
- Capital funding provided by Welsh Government for small and large capital projects to help ensure a quality childcare setting and seamless pathways between childcare and schools.
- Funded childcare placements available through Flying Start, Childcare Offer, Childcare and Play and Families First. Where we fund placements to support the child’s developmental needs, we will consider how we support the child to access the learning environment. There is not a funding scheme to offer additional support for all children to access care provision, which is why we support settings to consider how they best meet the care needs of the children in their setting.
The Welsh Government are rolling out the Flying Start Childcare in Flintshire.
If you live in a Flying Start expansion area your child is entitled to a funded childcare place from the term following their second birthday up until the end of the term that they turn three in a Flying Start registered childcare setting.
Children are entitled to a 2.5 hour session per day, up to 5 days a week, term-time only. There may be circumstances when you want less than 5 days, and/or you may want to adapt the sessions. You can discuss this with your chosen provider and Flying Start Team to ensure it best meets the needs of the child.
Regular part-time attendance at high quality childcare has shown to significantly improve outcomes for children. If you live in a Flying Start area, we encourage you to take up your childcare place to help and support your child.
Flying Start
Find out more about the education element of the 30 hour offer – including important information about eligibility and your child’s date of birth.
Early Entitlement Funding Scheme
If you are working or in education or training you may be able to claim up to 30 hours of early education and childcare in Wales per week, for up to 48 weeks of the year for your 3- to 4-year-old.
This government-funded childcare scheme aims to lessen the burden of childcare costs so that you can spend the money you’ve saved on the things that matter most to your family.
Childcare Offerexternal link
You can apply for a school place for your children here. Application dates vary depending on whether you are applying for nursery, reception or high school. You can also apply to change schools (for example, because of a house move) here.
Nursery/School Applications
Some families who meet certain criteria, for example, those on lower incomes or in receipt of certain benefits, are entitled to receive a free school meal (eFSM). On a successful application for eFSM families are then eligible for other benefits to cover the cost of school essentials such as the school essentials grant.
Free School Meals and School Essentials Grant
Providing inclusive childcare provision
Childcare settings across the Flintshire are committed to providing inclusive environments for the children they care for.
Childcare provider staff receive child development training and know how to create exciting stimulating learning environments.
We want all children to become independent learners who can confidently engage with the learning environment while having fun. All childcare providers should provide good quality universal childcare provision for all children and offer some targeted learning activities for small groups or individuals to help with their development.
However, some children struggle with the learning environment and need more targeted support to help them settle in and develop their independence skills. We provide advice to many setting through our Advisory Team. This is a team of professionals with vast experience of working within early years. They will visit a setting to observe a child and offer support strategies to help move learning and development forward.
If the Advisor and the childcare setting feel that the child needs additional support, they will discuss with the parent and this can be taken forward to the Emerging Needs Panel. The Panel meets monthly and is aligned to the Pre-School Delegation Panel. Both panels consider the needs of the child and setting, and the need for additional support, training or specialist equipment.