P-06-1303 Create, fund and sustain sufficient affordable nursery and childcare places for all working parents

Petitions4

This petition was submitted by Gill Byrne, having collected 96 signatures online and 164 signatures on paper, making for a total of 260 signatures collected.

Text of Petition:                    

Too many parents with young families are prohibited from taking up opportunities in employment, education and training due to the lack of affordable local childcare. This is keeping children and families in poverty, reducing choice for employers, and negatively affecting the wellbeing of families and the economy of Wales. It needs intervention at a political level to ensure this situation is addressed.

Additional Information:

As a former childcare development officer I can confirm the situation is worse now than it was 10-15 years ago with a huge reduction in childcare places for babies to older children. As part of a commitment to children and families in Wales the Welsh Government needs to urgently consider options to make affordable childcare a right for all families in the same way education is, and even consider siting nurseries and childcare on school grounds particularly for new builds or where space allows on existing school sites. Parents I know are unable to take up opportunities that would benefit their families because either they cannot afford childcare or more often there is no childcare available. There needs to be sustained investment at Welsh Government level both in providing and subsidising childcare places - let's lead the way for the rest of the UK!

Status 

This petition was considered completed by the Petitions Committee at its meeting on 18/11/2024. 

Full details of the consideration of this petition by the Committee and related documents can be seen on the Meetings tab above. 

It was first considered by the Petitions Committee on 07/11/2022. 

Senedd Constituency and Region

• Ceredigion
• Mid and West Wales

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