Number and percentage of children eligible, offered and taking up Flying Start childcare, by local authority

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

Data values	Data description	Local Authority	Year	Indicator
0 [t] [z]	Number	Wales	2012-13	Children newly eligible for childcare
0 [t] [z]	Number	Wales	2012-13	Children newly eligible and offered childcare
4,641 [t]	Number	Wales	2012-13	Children taking up either a full or reduced offer of childcare
8,511 [t]	Number	Wales	2013-14	Children newly eligible for childcare
7,534 [t]	Number	Wales	2013-14	Children newly eligible and offered childcare
6,445 [t]	Number	Wales	2013-14	Children taking up either a full or reduced offer of childcare
9,393 [t]	Number	Wales	2014-15	Children newly eligible for childcare
9,102 [t]	Number	Wales	2014-15	Children newly eligible and offered childcare
7,626 [t]	Number	Wales	2014-15	Children taking up either a full or reduced offer of childcare
9,274 [t]	Number	Wales	2015-16	Children newly eligible for childcare
9,032 [t]	Number	Wales	2015-16	Children newly eligible and offered childcare
7,772 [t]	Number	Wales	2015-16	Children taking up either a full or reduced offer of childcare
9,253 [t]	Number	Wales	2016-17	Children newly eligible for childcare
8,928 [t]	Number	Wales	2016-17	Children newly eligible and offered childcare
7,898 [t]	Number	Wales	2016-17	Children taking up either a full or reduced offer of childcare
9,479 [t]	Number	Wales	2017-18	Children newly eligible for childcare
9,098 [t]	Number	Wales	2017-18	Children newly eligible and offered childcare
7,940 [t]	Number	Wales	2017-18	Children taking up either a full or reduced offer of childcare
9,132 [t]	Number	Wales	2018-19	Children newly eligible for childcare
8,937 [t]	Number	Wales	2018-19	Children newly eligible and offered childcare
7,823 [t]	Number	Wales	2018-19	Children taking up either a full or reduced offer of childcare
9,063 [t]	Number	Wales	2019-20	Children newly eligible for childcare
8,961 [t]	Number	Wales	2019-20	Children newly eligible and offered childcare
7,693 [t]	Number	Wales	2019-20	Children taking up either a full or reduced offer of childcare
8,607 [t]	Number	Wales	2020-21	Children newly eligible for childcare
8,235 [t]	Number	Wales	2020-21	Children newly eligible and offered childcare
6,877 [t]	Number	Wales	2020-21	Children taking up either a full or reduced offer of childcare
8,817 [t]	Number	Wales	2021-22	Children newly eligible for childcare
8,727 [t]	Number	Wales	2021-22	Children newly eligible and offered childcare
7,615 [t]	Number	Wales	2021-22	Children taking up either a full or reduced offer of childcare
8,310 [t]	Number	Wales	2022-23	Children newly eligible for childcare
8,134 [t]	Number	Wales	2022-23	Children newly eligible and offered childcare
6,908 [t]	Number	Wales	2022-23	Children taking up either a full or reduced offer of childcare
9,230 [t]	Number	Wales	2023-24	Children newly eligible for childcare
9,137 [t]	Number	Wales	2023-24	Children newly eligible and offered childcare
7,444 [t]	Number	Wales	2023-24	Children taking up either a full or reduced offer of childcare
9,456 [t]	Number	Wales	2024-25	Children newly eligible for childcare
9,373 [t]	Number	Wales	2024-25	Children newly eligible and offered childcare
8,014 [t]	Number	Wales	2024-25	Children taking up either a full or reduced offer of childcare
0 [z]	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2012-13	Children newly eligible for childcare
0 [z]	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2012-13	Children newly eligible and offered childcare
65	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2012-13	Children taking up either a full or reduced offer of childcare
146	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2013-14	Children newly eligible for childcare
142	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2013-14	Children newly eligible and offered childcare
139	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2013-14	Children taking up either a full or reduced offer of childcare
191	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2014-15	Children newly eligible for childcare
191	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2014-15	Children newly eligible and offered childcare
154	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2014-15	Children taking up either a full or reduced offer of childcare
144	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2015-16	Children newly eligible for childcare
143	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2015-16	Children newly eligible and offered childcare
126	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2015-16	Children taking up either a full or reduced offer of childcare
187	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2016-17	Children newly eligible for childcare
187	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2016-17	Children newly eligible and offered childcare
160	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2016-17	Children taking up either a full or reduced offer of childcare
162	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2017-18	Children newly eligible for childcare
160	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2017-18	Children newly eligible and offered childcare
149	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2017-18	Children taking up either a full or reduced offer of childcare
158	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2018-19	Children newly eligible for childcare
158	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2018-19	Children newly eligible and offered childcare
144	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2018-19	Children taking up either a full or reduced offer of childcare
174	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2019-20	Children newly eligible for childcare
166	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2019-20	Children newly eligible and offered childcare
131	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2019-20	Children taking up either a full or reduced offer of childcare
170	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2020-21	Children newly eligible for childcare
170	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2020-21	Children newly eligible and offered childcare
104	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2020-21	Children taking up either a full or reduced offer of childcare
140	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2021-22	Children newly eligible for childcare
139	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2021-22	Children newly eligible and offered childcare
130	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2021-22	Children taking up either a full or reduced offer of childcare
158	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2022-23	Children newly eligible for childcare
151	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2022-23	Children newly eligible and offered childcare
141	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2022-23	Children taking up either a full or reduced offer of childcare
184	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2023-24	Children newly eligible for childcare
176	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2023-24	Children newly eligible and offered childcare
176	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2023-24	Children taking up either a full or reduced offer of childcare
209	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2024-25	Children newly eligible for childcare
206	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2024-25	Children newly eligible and offered childcare
197	Number	Isle of Anglesey	2024-25	Children taking up either a full or reduced offer of childcare
0 [z]	Number	Gwynedd	2012-13	Children newly eligible for childcare
0 [z]	Number	Gwynedd	2012-13	Children newly eligible and offered childcare
154	Number	Gwynedd	2012-13	Children taking up either a full or reduced offer of childcare
157	Number	Gwynedd	2013-14	Children newly eligible for childcare
139	Number	Gwynedd	2013-14	Children newly eligible and offered childcare
139	Number	Gwynedd	2013-14	Children taking up either a full or reduced offer of childcare
216	Number	Gwynedd	2014-15	Children newly eligible for childcare
175	Number	Gwynedd	2014-15	Children newly eligible and offered childcare
174	Number	Gwynedd	2014-15	Children taking up either a full or reduced offer of childcare
283	Number	Gwynedd	2015-16	Children newly eligible for childcare
283	Number	Gwynedd	2015-16	Children newly eligible and offered childcare
245	Number	Gwynedd	2015-16	Children taking up either a full or reduced offer of childcare
267	Number	Gwynedd	2016-17	Children newly eligible for childcare
267	Number	Gwynedd	2016-17	Children newly eligible and offered childcare
267	Number	Gwynedd	2016-17	Children taking up either a full or reduced offer of childcare
265	Number	Gwynedd	2017-18	Children newly eligible for childcare
265	Number	Gwynedd	2017-18	Children newly eligible and offered childcare
246	Number	Gwynedd	2017-18	Children taking up either a full or reduced offer of childcare
264	Number	Gwynedd	2018-19	Children newly eligible for childcare
264	Number	Gwynedd	2018-19	Children newly eligible and offered childcare
238	Number	Gwynedd	2018-19	Children taking up either a full or reduced offer of childcare
250	Number	Gwynedd	2019-20	Children newly eligible for childcare

Showing 1 to 100 of 1,495 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.

  The core Flying Start childcare offer is that quality childcare is offered to parents of all eligible 2 to 3 year olds for 2.5 hours a day, 5 days a week for 39 weeks of the year. In addition, there should be at least 15 sessions of provision for the family during the school holidays. Families can choose to accept either the full offer or a reduced offer if only some of the sessions are needed.

• 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. Additional data were requested from local authorities following expansion of the childcare element of Flying Start to monitor progress.

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

• Statistical quality:

  Data from 2020-21 and 2021-22 was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. 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.

  ‘Take up’ refers to whether the offer of childcare is accepted regardless of whether the child subsequently attends childcare, though some local authorities have provided attendance-based acceptance figures in 2024-25.

  In Swansea in 2024-25, the number of children taking up full or reduced offers of childcare was greater than the total number of children offered childcare, resulting in percentage greater than 100% which has been adjusted to 100%. This is because only childcare offers to newly eligible 2 year olds in the period are counted, whereas the number of children taking up childcare could include children who turned 2 before the previous reporting period.

• Related reports:
  • Flying Start annual statistical release
  • 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.