County council chiefs have welcomed the confirmation that Staffordshire has been allocated more than £1.6million of funding to enhance before and after school provision for children.
Primary school aged children will be able to access “affordable” term-time childcare from 8am to 6pm as part of new wraparound care plans.
Staffordshire County Council said it would use its share of the £289million pot from the Department for Education to map out the needs and test different ways of delivering the programme, including working with private providers and schools directly.
There will also be an additional funding allocation to ensure there is enough physical space to roll out the programme.
Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for children and young people, Cllr Mark Sutton, said:
“No parent should be denied the opportunity to pursue a career because they cannot find appropriate childcare.
“It remains a top priority for us to ensure that every child in Staffordshire has the best start in life. This is why we are rolling out a new programme to ensure that cost-effective childcare from 8am to 6pm will be available at every Staffordshire primary school by September 2026.
“We should start to see an expansion in the availability of wraparound childcare from September 2024, starting in areas where demand is highest.”
Cllr Mark Sutton, Staffordshire County Council
The government funding supports the roll out of the childcare wraparound programme until 2026, with the fees set by each individual provider.
Parents eligible for tax-free childcare or universal credit childcare will be able to use that support to help pay for the provision.