Number and percentage of children eligible, offered and taking up Flying Start childcare, by local authority
See what variables and values are shown in your table
| Variable | Visibility | Selected values | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data description | Shown in table | All 2 values | Change values |
| Local Authority | Shown in table | All 23 values | Change values |
| Year | Shown in table | All 13 values | Change values |
| Indicator | Shown in table | All 3 values | Change values |
Table
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 |
Next update expected:October 2026
Updates
- 8th October 2025
- Dataset first published.
Main information
- Designation
- Official statistics
- Data provider
- Welsh Government
- Data source
- Flying Start data monitoring returns
- Time period covered
- April 2012 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.
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.
Published by
- Organisation
- Welsh Government
- Contact email
- stats.healthinfo@gov.wales