03/29/2024

Wales News Online

Local & National News for Wales

Plaid call for more childcare support for key workers

PLAID Cymru’s Shadow Education Minister, Siân Gwenllian has expressed her deep disappointment that not all key workers will be supported with their childcare needs over the summer holidays.

As the summer term comes to a close, and some key worker parents are faced with childcare issues.

While schools were shut for the majority of school children from the middle of March through to the end of June, provision had been made for the children of key workers and also vulnerable children. However, the Coronavirus Childcare Assistance Scheme (C-CAS) will only be provided to children of key workers under the age of five, and vulnerable children. This means that key workers will have to find alternative childcare for their children over the age of 5.

Plaid Cymru Shadow Minister for Education, Culture and Welsh Language, Siân Gwenllian MS, said:

“Childcare provision for key workers needs to continue. For those key workers who have no alternative childcare options, in two parent families the parent with the lowest wage, which often is a woman, will have to give up work. Otherwise, grandparents who may be shielding, may feel obliged to look after their grandchildren, increasing their risk of exposure.

“The news that childcare provision will continue for vulnerable children, and key worker children under 5 parents is very welcome. However, we also have to continue to support key workers who have children over the age of 5. They have been through so much already, and are now battling to recover services that were so badly impacted during the pandemic.

“We are all too aware that the virus is still with us, and the work undertaken by our key workers is so critical. We must do more to support our key workers over the summer.”

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