Rejected petition Provide 30 hours of universal funded childcare for working parents in Wales from 9 months old.

We call on the Welsh Government to expand the "Childcare Offer for Wales" to provide parity with the offer available in England. Specifically, we urge the Government to extend the 30 hours of funded childcare to eligible working parents of children aged 9 months to 2 years, ensuring that support is universal and not restricted by the current Flying Start postcode limitations.

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As a 33-year-old professional in North Wales with no local family to rely on for childcare, starting a family feels financially impossible under current Welsh policy. Even with a return to work after the minimum legal maternity leave, the high cost of nursery care - averaging £1,400 per month for an under-2 -exceeds the financial benefit of working.

This creates a "work penalty" where families are effectively forced out of the workforce. Working parents should not be penalised for wanting to contribute to the Welsh economy while raising a family. Without parity with the 30-hour offer available in England (which supports parents from 9 months to 4 years), parents in Wales are being left behind.

I am aware of the 30 hours available for 3-4 year olds already in Wales, and while the Flying Start scheme provides 12.5 hours for some 2-year-olds, it is currently a postcode lottery that does not meet the needs of full-time working parents. We ask the Senedd to ensure Wales is a fair place to work and raise a family by closing this childcare gap.

Why was this petition rejected?

There’s already a petition about this issue. We cannot accept a new petition when we already have one about a very similar issue, or if the Petitions Committee has considered one in the last year.

The Committee completed its consideration of the following petition on 26 January 2026:
https://business.senedd.wales/mgIssueHistoryHome.aspx?IId=47014

We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards

Rejected petitions are published in the language in which they were submitted

Date submitted 24 February 2026
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