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Agenda item

Proposal to Pilot the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Initiative

Minutes:

The Corporate Director Education and Family Support reported on options to progress Welsh Government’s Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) pilot and to seek approval of Cabinet’s preferred option.  He outlined the current situation for early years’ provision within Bridgend and that the Welsh Government Childcare Offer is a commitment to provide 30 hours of funded early education and childcare for 3 and 4 year-old children of eligible working parents for up to 48 weeks of the year (39 weeks of provision during school term time and 9 weeks of the year during school holiday periods).    

 

He reported that the ECEC is a new approach being introduced by Welsh Government which aims to develop a holistic vision of education and childcare to support children in their early years.  Piloting an ECEC approach would develop understanding of the challenges and opportunities this change could bring andfocus on the removal of barriers that exist between education and care to ensure that any setting, whether a school or private/voluntary childcare, can offer ECEC provision.  He stated that the Council would be provided with funding for the ECEC pilot; Bridgend would continue to commit to provide 30 hours education provision for ‘rising 4s’; all settings who express an interest to pilot, both schools and childcare sector, are supported to deliver 30 hours ECEC provision; working parents are to be no worse off in Bridgend than in other local authorities (working parents will be able to access the ‘Childcare Offer’ hours during terms where part-time FPN provision is available, alongside holiday childcare provision); options available to non-working parents are set out at paragraph 4.8; and evaluation and monitoring activity will run alongside the pilot. He stated that the Welsh Government have confirmed that up to £3.5m per year is available to support this pilot.  He stated that in order to support the pilot, the Council will need to develop, manage and process a system for paying providers monthly as well as being able to gather monitoring and evaluation information.  He outlined the four options available and stated that it was proposed that the ECEC pilot would commence at the start of the 2021-2022 school year (from September 2021). He informed Cabinet that ECEC will be funded at £4.50 per hour to all settings in line with the rate paid for childcare under the Childcare Offer and it was that 64% of families in Bridgend would be are eligible working parents under the current Childcare Offer. 

 

The Cabinet Member Education and Regeneration commented that the ‘All for all parents’ should be pursued and would give children the best start in life. The Leader commented that the most cost effective and lasting difference to a child is at early years and he was keen that children who have additional learning needs access the provision. 

 

RESOLVED:             That Cabinet:

  • considered the four options outlined in the report; and
  • selected option 2 as the preferred option to take forward as the pilot;
  • requested the Corporate Director Education and Family Support present a progress report on the pilot to Cabinet in six months;
  • that officers work with the Welsh Government to protect existing provision and have dialogue with the Welsh Government on the capital funding to make changes to develop provision.  

 

Supporting documents:

 

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