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<p>Through the English government’s transformative childcare reforms, the department
will expect to be spending in excess of £8 billion every year on free hours and early
education, helping working families with their childcare costs. This represents the
single biggest investment in childcare in England ever. The childcare expansion is
being rolled out in phases, with over 210,000 children now benefitting since the launch
of the first phase in April. The next stage in September 2024 will extend this to
children aged from 9 months. By September 2025, eligible working parents will be able
to access 30 hours of free childcare from the term after their child turns 9-months-old
to when they start school.</p><p> </p><p>As such, there are currently no plans to
introduce the Welsh style childcare provision in England. Education and the entitlement
to free childcare for pre-school children in Wales is devolved to the Welsh Assembly.
We engage routinely with the Welsh government and other devolved administrations at
ministerial and official levels to learn from each other to improve early years outcomes
across the UK.</p>
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