Parents welcome 30 hours free childcare pilot

Working parents are set to be offered 30 hours of free childcare a week as part of a pilot scheme in Wales.

It will be tested in some council areas from autumn 2017 prior to a wider roll-out.

The free childcare would be limited to three to four-year-olds and would cover 48 weeks of the year.

Councils that will be taking part in the trial will be announced by the Welsh Government later.

BBC Wales visited Tiny Tearaways, a day nursery in Carmarthen, to find out what parents thought of the pilot scheme.

Lauren Evans dropped her daughter off for her first day of nursery

Lauren Evans is a mum-of-one and a part time healthcare support worker. She said the scheme would help a "massive amount" if she returned to work full time.

"I have worked out that if I was to go full time, nine to five Monday to Friday, it would cost me £650 in crèche fees a month - which is more than my mortgage.

"The reason I'm not working full time is because I can't afford the childcare, so we have to struggle on with my lower income wage.

"I think it will help more people into work and it's about time that people that want to work are helped."

Danielle Holroyd has two children, age three and seven years, and works for British Telecom.

She said: "If the free childcare is in the crèche or a nursery, then yes I think it's a great idea. But when they offered the 15 hours a week within Flying Start, it was a bit of a pain as it meant moving the child from one setting to another, and it only worked out for about two hours a day."

She said the scheme also help her family financially.

"I get a good wage, but it's not that good when you consider I'm paying nearly £700 a month for childcare," she said.

Shannon Coverdale, 21, is a college student and mum to a two-year-old.

She said the pilot scheme was "amazing news" but called for it to be extended to younger children, not just three to four-year-olds.

"There are a lot of parents of younger children who need to go back to work, but can't afford to," she said.

"It should also be expanded to people in education as well, not just work.

"Childcare costs me £400 a month. I do get help off the college, but a lot of people don't.

"Only this week my help has come through, I was paying for childcare myself which was costing me a fortune. I was having to rely on my friends and my sister to help look after him. Everyone else works and his grandparents are a little bit too old."

Amy Rees, college student

College student Amy Rees, 19, is mum to a 15-month baby and a three-year-old.

She said free childcare would be "helpful" and would allow them "to do a lot more things on the weekend."

"Childcare is my only option as I don't have anyone to watch them," she said.

"College pay a certain amount, but I've still got to find £200 a month on top of that."

Jodie Morgan is a youth worker and hopes the scheme will "get more people working".

"I did struggle to pay for childcare when I had two children under the age of three. They came two days a week and it cost about £100 a week," she said.

"I'm lucky that I have family to help."

Comments on the BBC Wales Facebook page:

Lynne Matthews said: "Fifteen years ago it was standard practice that three year-olds went to nursery full time. Just reinstate that in all schools and then look at giving free child care to under threes."

Katherine Martin said: "We would save about £12,000 a year. In 2017 and 2018 I'll be working to keep my career rather than earn a good salary. So 30 hours free childcare would be amazing."

Filippa Musselle said: "No such thing as free childcare - someone has to pay!"

Susan Lloyd said: "I'm paying £90 a month for my daughter to attend playgroup for two and a half hours, three mornings a week in the next village. If we lived in the same village it would be free.

"I've now had to take a evening job to help fund this. I shouldn't be deprived of time with my children but I am."

Louise Hall said: "As a childminder I get frustrated when people complain about childcare costs. I charge £4.50 per hour (or £40 daily offer based on a 10 hour day) which includes everything except nappies.

"I have to follow all rules and regulations that a nursery, playgroup and school does (without the access to funding) and of course keep myself educated and up to date.

"Yet it's not 30 hours free, it comes out from somewhere and should I choose to sign up, the local authority decide on an hourly fee which would not meet my running costs and as usual it's hardly a drive to benefit working parents who are the ones who deserve it."