Information for Providers
➭ What is the Childcare Offer?
The Childcare Offer will provide working parents with up to 30 hours of Early Education and childcare for three and four-year-olds, for up to 48 weeks per year. The offer will build on children’s existing Early Education entitlement during term time and provide up to 30 hours of childcare for nine weeks of the holidays.
➭ What does it mean for me as a provider?
Providing you are registered with Care Inspectorate Wales you could receive funding for eligible children accessing the Offer in your setting.
Payments for children who start receiving Childcare Offer funded hours from January 2023 must be claimed for using this digital service.
If you are already offering the Childcare Offer you still need to sign up to the new digital service.
Parents will not be able to choose you as their childcare setting if you have not registered.
Parents can choose to use any childcare provider within Carmarthenshire provided that they have chosen to be a supplier for the offer on behalf of the local authority. Parents can choose to use providers from outside of the county. However, you will need to ensure that you register as a supplier.
➭ Do I need to deliver the Early Education to deliver the childcare element of the offer?
No. Some children will continue to access Early Education in maintained and approved non maintained settings. Childcare providers do not need to deliver both the early education and childcare elements of the Offer.
➭ Do I need to be able to deliver the offer for 48 weeks per year to take part?
No. Parents can access the Offer through different providers that best suit their circumstances. Providers who only offer term-time provision, or provision only in the school holidays, can still deliver the Offer, depending on the needs of the parents.
➭ How much will I get paid?
All providers will receive a rate of £5.00 per hour for children receiving the childcare element of the offer.
➭ Can I charge parents a top-up rate?
No. You cannot charge hourly top-up rates if you’d normally charge more than £5.00 per hour.
➭ Can I charge for food and additional activities?
Yes. If necessary, you can charge parents for additional elements, such as:
Food
Transport
Off-site activities which incur a cost
The Welsh Government calculates food charges as follows:
- Meal: £2.50
- Snack: 75p
According to Welsh Government Guidelines, parents should not be charged more than:
- £9.00 per full day (approximately 10 hours) To include 3 meals and 2 snacks
- £5.75 per half-day session (approximately 5.5 hours) To include 2 meals and 1 snack
- 75p per session where there is a snack but no meal
➭ How will I get paid?
Sign into the digital service at https://www.gov.wales/providers-sign-in-your-childcare-offer-wales-account sign in to your Childcare Offer for Wales account and find the Claims link via the provider/setting dashboard to see a list of weekly timesheets.
The system will generate weekly timesheets, and these are available for the setting to review and submit from 19:00 every Friday.
Timesheets may be submitted weekly or may be submitted in batches, up to a maximum of two months’ worth of timesheets.
➭ How do I take part?
Contact your local Family Information service for support to register your Childcare setting or please click on the following Welsh Government link: https://www.gov.wales/providers-get-help-childcare-offer-wales or call 03000 628628
➭ Providers manage agreements for the Childcare Offer for Wales
The link below is for childcare providers, and includes how to view, accept and change agreements for Childcare Offer funded hours.
https://www.gov.wales/providers-manage-agreements-childcare-offer-wales
➭ Providers claim a payment from the Childcare Offer for Wales
How childcare settings submit timesheets to claim payments for Childcare Offer funded hours.
https://www.gov.wales/providers-claim-payment-childcare-offer-wales
