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Childcare Offer Capital Grant Programme helping local childcare providers

Published: 13/07/2021

Flintshire Early Years has approved 105 applications from childcare providers, helping them to improve the facilities they offer or to lower the age of provision to include 3 and 4 year olds. 

The Council was awarded £500,000 of Welsh Government funding from the grant scheme and an additional £122,000 for COVID-19 related Capital works. 

Of the 105 applications approved from 2018 – 2021, 23 were COVID-19 related. 

Flintshire’s Cabinet Member for Social Services, Councillor Christine Jones, said:

“This significant amount of funding for Flintshire will benefit many working parents in need of Pre-School childcare and offer children modern facilities in which to play, learn and develop.”

Flintshire Cabinet Member for Education and Youth, Councilor Ian Roberts, said:

“Social services colleagues have worked in full partnership with education officers on this crucial scheme and I fully support this excellent programme which, as you can see, is providing first class child care facilities for many children in the county.”

Below are some examples of the difference these grants have made to local children.

During 2019 - 2021 Little Stars – Deeside was able to refurbish their kitchen.

Becky and Ellie from Little Stars said:

“Little Stars would like to say a huge heartfelt thank you to the team for granting us this funding in order to make this change possible. The old kitchen had been part of Little Stars since the beginning and although it still provided us everything we needed, it had become much worn and we began to struggle with the facilities that we had. This grant made it possible for us to update our equipment and provided much needed additional storage and easier access.”

Hope Green Day Nursery received the additional WG funding for COVID-19 related to capital works to build an outdoor, well-ventilated and heated library. The inclusion of an outdoor noticeboard meant that parents could get information from that, rather than handing out paper copies.

Jill from Hope Green Day Nursery said:

“The small grant has allowed us to purchase many new indoor and outdoor resources that the children have really enjoyed using. These resources have provided new learning opportunities both spontaneous and planned. Due to COVID-19 we have been spending more time outdoors and the new resources have enabled us to widen the range of activities on offer. We feel this grant has had a positive impact on the children's learning and development.”

Another success story is at Little Monsterz – Childminding service. They used their grant for an outdoor playroom and roof over their decked area.

Karen from Little Monsterz said:

“Our outdoor playroom and roof over our decked area couldn’t have come at a more appropriate time. For the health and wellbeing of our children we have spent more time than ever outside. It allows the children to spend time outside even if it’s raining. 

We have the space to store and equip the outdoor playroom with some wonderful items that the children can be creative with. Their learning is enjoyable and fun. If they wish for some quiet time they can get comfy on the large cushion and read a book. 

It’s great that they have extra space, they can flow from the playroom to the decking to the outdoor playroom, choosing to stop and play with whatever their imagination wants them to.”

The Local Authority is required to administer and manage the Small Grants Scheme for Flintshire childcare providers, ensuring partnership working with representatives of the childcare umbrella organisations (CWLWM) - Early Years Wales, Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids’ Clubs, Mudiad Meithrin, National Day Nurseries Association Cymru (NDNA Cymru) and Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years (PACEY Cymru) when considering applications.