In the Spring budget, 2023, government announced an investment of £289m for a National Wraparound Programme to achieve its ambition of supporting all families who need it to access wraparound childcare from 8am – 6.00pm, term time only, aimed specifically to those children in reception to year 6. Wraparound childcare is childcare that ‘wraps around’ the conventional school day, before and after school and is paid for by the parents/carers.
Central Bedfordshire Council were one of 16 local authorities who helped co-design the programme, supporting Department for Education to produce the National Wraparound Childcare Programme Handbook – a guide for local authorities in England. The handbook highlights the vision, aims and objectives and sets out the expectations of the programme.
What is Wraparound Care and more importantly how can it help you?
Wraparound Care is childcare that ‘wraps around’ the conventional school day, runs 8am – 6pm, Monday to Friday, term time.
A Wraparound childcare provider is anyone who delivers wraparound provision. This can include private, voluntary, and independent (PVI’s) organisations, schools, childminders, and other early years providers.
Central Bedfordshire Council are pleased to announce they are one of four areas who will be rolling out the wraparound childcare offer as part of the National Wraparound Childcare Programme from April 2024 - five months ahead of the national programme launch in September 2024.
Central Bedfordshire, the Bi-Borough of Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire will begin expanding provision, increasing access to flexible childcare for local working parents as part of a test and learn phase to strengthen the delivery of national rollout.
As an early adopter we can lead the way and help the families with primary school aged children access wraparound childcare earlier, supporting the families of Central Bedfordshire by ensuring provision is regular, has longer hours and is more dependable for parents living in the area. It is an exciting opportunity to be at the forefront of the National Wraparound Childcare Programme and to work with schools, private, voluntary, independent organisations, childminders, and parents/carers, which could then potentially assist other local authorities nationally.
All schools, providers, parent’s, and carers had the opportunity to have their say on the National Childcare Wraparound Provision and their experiences of wraparound across Central Bedfordshire during the months of February and March, If you’re a school or a provider and would like to know more Central Bedfordshire Council’s involvement please visit Wraparound Childcare or email: wraparoundchildcare@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk.
If you’re a parent or carer looking for Wraparound Childcare, the Family Information Directory has details of Breakfast and After School Clubs in Central Bedfordshire.
Parents can use Universal Credit childcare support for up to 85% subsidy of their costs and eligible parents can use Tax Free Childcare to subsidise costs, covering 20% of costs up to £2k a year (or up to £4k for disabled children.
Would you like to be part of Central Bedfordshire Council’s, ‘Wraparound Childcare Steering Group’ and help work towards the National Wraparound Childcare Programme agenga, get a better understanding of CBC involvement and how breakfast and afterschool clubs are being supported?
The group meets every other month, the 2nd Wednesday in the month, 10.00 – 11.30am, dates are as follows;
- Wednesday 8th May 2024
- Wednesday 10th July 2024
- Wednesday 11th September 2024
- Wednesday 13th November 2024
- Wednesday 8th January 2025