Flying Start brand to be ditched for two-year-old childcare in Wales

Welsh government guidance instructs local authorities to drop the “Flying Start” label for two-year-old childcare, replacing it with “Welsh government-funded childcare” to clarify the new 12.5-hour universal offer.

Ministers have told councils to adopt the new terminology immediately to support “clear, consistent” communication regarding the expansion of early years provision across Wales.

The rebranding specifically targets the childcare element, while other Flying Start services, including health visiting provision, will retain their original name according to the official guidance.

This move follows a political row after a Welsh government minister failed to rule out cutting or changing the flagship programme, which was central to the previous Labour administration.

Welsh Labour leader Ken Skates responded by demanding “answers” from the government, citing a “huge amount of confusion” surrounding the future of the scheme.

The guidance notes that research suggests parents are more likely to search for information using terms like “funded childcare” rather than programme-specific terminology.

It states: “To help prepare for this transition and ensure parents and carers across Wales receive clear and consistent information, we need you to start using the term ‘Welsh government-funded childcare’ instead of ‘Flying Start childcare’.

The document clarifies that this does not represent a change to the Flying Start core programme, which began in 2007 to support disadvantaged communities.

The current model is being used to expand childcare to all two-year-olds for 12.5 hours a week, a significant shift from its original targeted approach.

By the end of the current Senedd term in 2030, the Welsh government aims to provide universal childcare from nine months to four years for 20 hours a week.

This expansion will sit alongside existing provision for parents in work or education, who can access 30 hours a week for three to four-year-olds.

The government describes its new flagship offer as the most generous anywhere in the UK, building on and going further than the current model.

Skates stated: “There’s a huge amount of confusion and they’ve contributed to it. The Welsh Labour leader said he was not bothered by the title.

He added: “It’s what you are actually offering people that counts. What we need answers on from the Plaid government.

Skates noted that the government has been clear that cuts are necessary to deliver manifesto pledges, with Flying Start being the only area mentioned for potential reductions.

The Welsh government emphasised that the expanded offer will make childcare more accessible and affordable for all families in Wales.

It added that the changes will make a difference to gender equality, children’s outcomes, and the broader Welsh economy.

The guidance was issued to local authorities in August to support the phased rollout of the new childcare provisions.

Ministers stressed that the term “Welsh government-funded childcare” should be used when specifically referring to the expansion for two-year-olds.

Flying Start can continue to be used when referring to the wider programme, ensuring the brand remains associated with its broader early years support services.

The political context remains tense, as the Welsh government requires support from at least one opposition party to pass its budget next March.