Numbers and percentages of children on the flying start caseload with different characteristics, by local authority

Standard shorthand is used in this table: [t] = total, [z] = not applicable.

Data values	Data description	Local Authority	Year	Characteristics of children
2,120 [t]	Number	Wales	2012-13	Children from ethnic minority background
322 [t]	Number	Wales	2012-13	Children from families where Welsh is the first language
1,254 [t]	Number	Wales	2012-13	Children from families where English or Welsh is not the first language
1,781 [t]	Number	Wales	2012-13	Children of teenage parents
3,570 [t]	Number	Wales	2012-13	Children of first time parents
180 [t]	Number	Wales	2012-13	Children who have a disabled parent or carer
279 [t]	Number	Wales	2012-13	Children who have a disability
3,600 [t]	Number	Wales	2013-14	Children from ethnic minority background
739 [t]	Number	Wales	2013-14	Children from families where Welsh is the first language
1,916 [t]	Number	Wales	2013-14	Children from families where English or Welsh is not the first language
2,465 [t]	Number	Wales	2013-14	Children of teenage parents
8,005 [t]	Number	Wales	2013-14	Children of first time parents
360 [t]	Number	Wales	2013-14	Children who have a disabled parent or carer
475 [t]	Number	Wales	2013-14	Children who have a disability
4,103 [t]	Number	Wales	2014-15	Children from ethnic minority background
863 [t]	Number	Wales	2014-15	Children from families where Welsh is the first language
2,301 [t]	Number	Wales	2014-15	Children from families where English or Welsh is not the first language
2,848 [t]	Number	Wales	2014-15	Children of teenage parents
9,313 [t]	Number	Wales	2014-15	Children of first time parents
522 [t]	Number	Wales	2014-15	Children who have a disabled parent or carer
588 [t]	Number	Wales	2014-15	Children who have a disability
4,238 [t]	Number	Wales	2015-16	Children from ethnic minority background
948 [t]	Number	Wales	2015-16	Children from families where Welsh is the first language
2,252 [t]	Number	Wales	2015-16	Children from families where English or Welsh is not the first language
2,717 [t]	Number	Wales	2015-16	Children of teenage parents
9,150 [t]	Number	Wales	2015-16	Children of first time parents
572 [t]	Number	Wales	2015-16	Children who have a disabled parent or carer
586 [t]	Number	Wales	2015-16	Children who have a disability
4,439 [t]	Number	Wales	2016-17	Children from ethnic minority background
944 [t]	Number	Wales	2016-17	Children from families where Welsh is the first language
2,164 [t]	Number	Wales	2016-17	Children from families where English or Welsh is not the first language
2,736 [t]	Number	Wales	2016-17	Children of teenage parents
9,589 [t]	Number	Wales	2016-17	Children of first time parents
624 [t]	Number	Wales	2016-17	Children who have a disabled parent or carer
569 [t]	Number	Wales	2016-17	Children who have a disability
4,528 [t]	Number	Wales	2017-18	Children from ethnic minority background
901 [t]	Number	Wales	2017-18	Children from families where Welsh is the first language
2,170 [t]	Number	Wales	2017-18	Children from families where English or Welsh is not the first language
2,380 [t]	Number	Wales	2017-18	Children of teenage parents
8,805 [t]	Number	Wales	2017-18	Children of first time parents
615 [t]	Number	Wales	2017-18	Children who have a disabled parent or carer
492 [t]	Number	Wales	2017-18	Children who have a disability
4,439 [t]	Number	Wales	2018-19	Children from ethnic minority background
833 [t]	Number	Wales	2018-19	Children from families where Welsh is the first language
2,110 [t]	Number	Wales	2018-19	Children from families where English or Welsh is not the first language
2,301 [t]	Number	Wales	2018-19	Children of teenage parents
8,892 [t]	Number	Wales	2018-19	Children of first time parents
616 [t]	Number	Wales	2018-19	Children who have a disabled parent or carer
499 [t]	Number	Wales	2018-19	Children who have a disability
4,333 [t]	Number	Wales	2019-20	Children from ethnic minority background
840 [t]	Number	Wales	2019-20	Children from families where Welsh is the first language
1,981 [t]	Number	Wales	2019-20	Children from families where English or Welsh is not the first language
2,150 [t]	Number	Wales	2019-20	Children of teenage parents
8,935 [t]	Number	Wales	2019-20	Children of first time parents
600 [t]	Number	Wales	2019-20	Children who have a disabled parent or carer
497 [t]	Number	Wales	2019-20	Children who have a disability
4,282 [t]	Number	Wales	2020-21	Children from ethnic minority background
815 [t]	Number	Wales	2020-21	Children from families where Welsh is the first language
1,808 [t]	Number	Wales	2020-21	Children from families where English or Welsh is not the first language
1,758 [t]	Number	Wales	2020-21	Children of teenage parents
7,239 [t]	Number	Wales	2020-21	Children of first time parents
526 [t]	Number	Wales	2020-21	Children who have a disabled parent or carer
464 [t]	Number	Wales	2020-21	Children who have a disability
4,189 [t]	Number	Wales	2021-22	Children from ethnic minority background
877 [t]	Number	Wales	2021-22	Children from families where Welsh is the first language
1,826 [t]	Number	Wales	2021-22	Children from families where English or Welsh is not the first language
1,800 [t]	Number	Wales	2021-22	Children of teenage parents
8,106 [t]	Number	Wales	2021-22	Children of first time parents
602 [t]	Number	Wales	2021-22	Children who have a disabled parent or carer
451 [t]	Number	Wales	2021-22	Children who have a disability
4,343 [t]	Number	Wales	2022-23	Children from ethnic minority background
920 [t]	Number	Wales	2022-23	Children from families where Welsh is the first language
1,915 [t]	Number	Wales	2022-23	Children from families where English or Welsh is not the first language
1,682 [t]	Number	Wales	2022-23	Children of teenage parents
8,639 [t]	Number	Wales	2022-23	Children of first time parents
668 [t]	Number	Wales	2022-23	Children who have a disabled parent or carer
540 [t]	Number	Wales	2022-23	Children who have a disability
4,478 [t]	Number	Wales	2023-24	Children from ethnic minority background
1,179 [t]	Number	Wales	2023-24	Children from families where Welsh is the first language
1,514 [t]	Number	Wales	2023-24	Children from families where English or Welsh is not the first language
1,686 [t]	Number	Wales	2023-24	Children of teenage parents
10,159 [t]	Number	Wales	2023-24	Children of first time parents
774 [t]	Number	Wales	2023-24	Children who have a disabled parent or carer
662 [t]	Number	Wales	2023-24	Children who have a disability
5,296 [t]	Number	Wales	2024-25	Children from ethnic minority background
1,089 [t]	Number	Wales	2024-25	Children from families where Welsh is the first language
1,794 [t]	Number	Wales	2024-25	Children from families where English or Welsh is not the first language
1,584 [t]	Number	Wales	2024-25	Children of teenage parents
11,176 [t]	Number	Wales	2024-25	Children of first time parents
812 [t]	Number	Wales	2024-25	Children who have a disabled parent or carer
730 [t]	Number	Wales	2024-25	Children who have a disability
12	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2012-13	Children from ethnic minority background
116	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2012-13	Children from families where Welsh is the first language
7	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2012-13	Children from families where English or Welsh is not the first language
46	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2012-13	Children of teenage parents
109	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2012-13	Children of first time parents
2	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2012-13	Children who have a disabled parent or carer
7	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2012-13	Children who have a disability
9	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2013-14	Children from ethnic minority background
93	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2013-14	Children from families where Welsh is the first language

Showing 1 to 100 of 4,178 rows

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Main information

• Most recent update: 8 October 2025
• Next update expected: October 2026
• Designation: Official statistics
• Data provider: Welsh Government
• Data source: Flying Start data monitoring returns
• Time period covered: April 2012 to March 2025

Data notes

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.

• 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.

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

  The number of children on the caseload is generally lower than the number of children who have received Flying Start services in the year because families move in and out of Flying Start areas throughout the course of the year, and as children grow older they may become ineligible for services at a faster rate than new arrivals become eligible.

• Statistical quality:

  Data from 2020-21 and 2021-22 was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In years prior to the pandemic, in general only face-to-face contacts were recorded as Flying Start contacts. Welsh Government guidance issued in June 2021 stated that, as a general rule any targeted activity conducted via different means during the pandemic (i.e. virtual contacts through Skype or Whatsapp) should be recorded in the same way as face-to-face contacts were recorded previously. The guidance also stated that local authorities should exercise their professional judgement when determining if a virtual contact was meaningful enough to be recorded.

  Local authorities have provided additional feedback on how services were affected in 2021-22, and these included:

  • some parenting and speech, language and communication (SLC) programmes were either not run or not able to be completed
  • some childcare sessions had low attendance due to continued parental concern over COVID-19
  • some parents chose not to take-up childcare which they may have accepted prior to the pandemic
  • some Flying Start staff would have been self-isolating, shielding or unwell which affected the service offered
  • some contacts recorded as face-to-face contacts may have taken place over the phone or virtually.

  These factors need to be considered when using data for 2021-22. Services in 2022-23 were also affected by the pandemic. Whilst the enforced restrictions and adaptions to service delivery seen in 2021-22 were not seen in 2022-23, there may still have been some disruption caused by localised outbreaks of the virus. Furthermore, some of the virtual delivery of Parenting courses, SLC and health visitor services was retained as part of programme delivery for 2022-23 either due to personal choice or because it was deemed to be an effective means of reaching some families depending on individual circumstances. Caution is therefore advised when comparing data from 2022-23 with pre-pandemic figures.

  Health Visiting in Rhondda Cynon Taf: Rhondda Cynon Taf are piloting a new health visiting model which means that data between 2020-21 and 2023-24 are collected on a different basis to previous years. This may mean that any differences between previous years and any differences with other local authority areas may be due to the different service provision model. Therefore, caution is advised when comparing Rhondda Cynon Taf data with previous years and when comparing with other local authorities in 2022-23.

• Related reports:
  • Flying Start annual statistical bulletin
  • Flying Start quality report

Published by

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

Metadata

The metadata for this dataset is not included when you download the data. You can download this separately. This contains all the information from the 'About this dataset' tab.