Welsh Government
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Minister sees how Welsh Government support is helping children in Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion to get a Flying Start in life
Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty, Lesley Griffiths, has yesterday seen first hand how Welsh Government investment of over £770,000 is giving children in Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion the best possible start in life.
The Minister officially opened new Flying Start facilities at The Meads School in Milford Haven and Canolfan Tegryn in Aberporth, which have been backed by just over £320,000 and £450,000 of Welsh Government capital funding respectively.
Flying Start is the Welsh Government’s flagship early years programme, which improves the lives of children living in some of Wales’ most disadvantaged communities. It offers free part-time quality childcare for 2-3 year olds, parenting support, an enhanced health visitor service and help for early language development.
To date, more than £28 million of capital funding has been awarded to create Flying Start settings across Wales, supporting the Welsh Government’s aim to double the number of children and their families benefitting from Flying Start from 18,000 to 36,000 by 2016.
The expansion of the programme is progressing well in Pembrokeshire, with over 1,000 children using it last year.
Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty, Lesley Griffiths, said:
“Flying Start changes people’s lives and is one of my key priorities. We are committed to ensuring families living in some of our most disadvantaged communities are given support to ensure children have the best possible start in life.
“The programme is proving extremely successful, with over 31,000 children across Wales benefitting from it last year alone. This means we are well on our way to achieving our 36,000 target by 2016. This is extremely encouraging.
“I was delighted to meet some of the children, parents and staff at The Meads School and see the real benefit the scheme is having. I was particularly pleased to see the close relationship between the school and the Flying Start centre, which will provide the best possible experience for children as they move onto the Foundation Phase.”
Flying Start is also proving successful in Ceredigion, with 541 children benefitting from the scheme last year.
The Minister continued:
“It is clear to me the programme has been life-changing for some families in Ceredigion. It is supporting children to learn and progress, including early language development in English and Welsh.
“Language development is a key element of Flying Start. We are working with Local Authorities to make sure the linguistic needs of children are met, whether through English or Welsh. The scheme is a fantastic way of demonstrating the benefits of being bilingual with children and families across Wales.
“The Flying Start programme is an exciting opportunity for us to help change people’s lives for the better. I’m committed to continuing to support families so our children really do have a Flying Start.”
