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Children offered or taking up Phase 2 Flying Start childcare, by local authority and year

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Next update expected:October 2026

Updates

27th October 2025
9th October 2025
8th October 2025
Dataset first published.

Main information

Designation
Official statistics in development
Data provider
Welsh Government
Data source
Flying Start data monitoring returns
Time period covered
April 2023 to March 2025

Overview

Summary of dataset and variables

Flying Start is the Welsh Government early years programme delivered by local authorities in Wales. It is aimed at improving outcomes for families with children under 4 years of age in some of the most disadvantaged areas of Wales.

Expansion of all four elements of Flying Start began in September 2022, it included: funded part-time, high-quality childcare for 2 year olds; parenting support; enhanced health visitor support; and support for speech, language and communication.

A separate termly table is available for data from April 2025 onwards.

Data collection or calculation

The main source of data used in this statistical release is management information collected via the Welsh Government Flying Start Data Monitoring Return directly from local authorities. This data collection started in April 2012 to March 2013.

The Flying Start programme was expanded following the Programme for Government commitment to deliver a phased expansion of early years provision to include all 2-year-olds, with a particular emphasis on strengthening Welsh medium provision.

Phase 2 of the early years’ expansion programme focuses on delivering the childcare element of Flying Start to more 2-year-olds across Wales during 2023-24 and 2024-25 and began in April 2023.

These statistics are based on management information collected by Welsh government from local authorities to monitor the progress of the Phase 2 expansion. These statistics are official statistics in development. We are working to improve the quality of these statistics for future versions of this. They are the best estimate we have on the number of childcare places offered and taken up in April 2023 to March 24. Data have been collected for the purposes of monitoring the roll out of the Phase 2 expansion. We are working to refine and improve this data collection to be in line with the Welsh Government Flying Start Data Monitoring Return.

For 2023-24, ‘Take up’ refers to whether the offer of childcare is accepted regardless of whether the child subsequently attends childcare, though some local authorities defined take up differently.

The definition of take-up changed in 2024-25; from 2024-25 take-up is defined as when a child attends at least one session of Flying Start childcare. Comparisons with previous years are not advised as previous years defined take up as either the acceptance of an offer or attendance at the childcare setting. See quality report.

Further information on data sources and changes to Flying Start service provision because of the pandemic are detailed in the quality report.

Statistical quality

There is no specific statistical quality issues in relation to this data. For general statistical quality issues in relation to the Flying Start dataset, see the quality report.

Related reports

Published by

Organisation
Welsh Government
Contact email
stats.healthinfo@gov.wales