 We're thrilled to share news of four exciting childcare developments emerging across the borough. These initiatives are designed to bolster support for the delivery of Flying Start, Childcare Offer, and Assisted and Supported places, while also creating more opportunities for fee-paying childcare options.
- Firstly, The Twyn, a spacious two-room childcare facility, is taking shape adjacent to the school, offering direct links to the school nursery unit. This expansion will not only increase capacity but also provide a purpose-built space for the existing Twyn After School and Holiday Club.
- At Cwrt Rawlin, a new childcare room is being integrated into the school site, introducing fresh avenues for playgroup activities and wrap-around childcare to complement the existing After School and holiday club offerings.
- Similarly, Ysgol Ifor Bach is welcoming a new childcare room, becoming the new home for the existing Cylch Meithrin. Additionally, plans are underway for a new Clwb Carco development to operate from this provision.
- In partnership with the Pengam Library, Pengam is undergoing a transformation with a refurbished library and a brand-new childcare space. This space will house a Cylch Meithrin initially, evolving into a Welsh Medium Day Nursery supporting children from birth onwards.
While each development is progressing at its own pace, we anticipate completion by the end of the summer term, ready to welcome children from September. Our dedicated Childcare team is actively engaged in promoting these schemes and seeking Expressions of Interest from childcare providers to help bring these visions to life.
These initiatives aim to ease the strain on demand for childcare places while providing vibrant new spaces for children to thrive and enjoy their early years.
 Want to improve your understanding of outdoor learning? Here are some resources to support the introduction of outdoor learning to your setting.
Did you do take part in Outdoor Learning Week 22-28 April? If so, send us in some pictures and an brief outline of what you did so we can share in our June bulletin. Send to earlyyearshub@caerphilly.gov.uk.
 The Welsh Government is surveying childcare and play providers. We want to understand more about the costs that are involved in running a childcare business, and how you generate income.
We want to understand this in order to inform policy decision that we make, including around the rates that we pay for funded programmes and other forms of support that we offer to providers.
The questionnaire includes questions about your costs (the money you spend on things like staff, rent, bills etc.), your income (including from fees and from funded programmes such as the Childcare Offer for Wales) and the amount of hours of care that you provide. We will also ask about the average salaries paid to different types of staff within your service. Having the relevant documents to hand can help, for example, your most recent annual accounts or a bank statement.
We will use the information you give us alongside other relevant information, such as measures of price inflation in the UK economy and information about staff pay, including the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage.
It is very important that we get the views of providers on this topic. This survey is your opportunity to tell us about financial challenges that you face and to inform our future decisions about rates and other forms of support.
Our survey is now online is can be found at: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/OHYSWQ/
 A reminder of the Welsh Government Talk With Me website. Every month we signpost you to a link on the website – but you are free to explore this website whenever you need tips and advice on speech, language and communication.
The website was designed by Speech and Language Therapists joint with the Welsh Government. It has lots of helpful resources for practitioners and parents/carers.
This plan aims to find the best ways to help all children and families. It hopes to support everyone to understand the importance of speech, language and communication for children aged 0 to 4 years 11 months. We want parents and carers to understand how important it is to talk to and play with their children.
We encourage everyone spends some time exploring the website and using all of the helpful resources.
Here is the link to the website: https://www.gov.wales/talk-with-me
The ‘Talk with Me’ practitioner toolkit has been updated to include new resources. The toolkit can be found here.
 Children (Reception to year 11) of families on lower incomes who receive certain benefits, those seeking asylum and children in care can claim £125 per year to help with school costs.
There’s still time to check eligibility and apply for this year’s funding before applications close on 31 May.
To find out more about the Schools Essentials Grant and to check eligibility, visit Get help with school costs.
Please help to share this with families you are working with and with your wider networks.
Teulu Cymru or “Family of Wales,” is here for parents, carers and families of children aged 0-18, pointing them in the right direction for different Welsh Government sources of practical and financial support.
From parenting tips and expert development advice, to help with childcare costs - Teulu makes it a little easier to access this support in one place.
Teulu Cymru | GOV.WALES
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 Suggestion of activities:
Make your plate a happy face – arrange your snack into a smiley plate and don’t forget to label your body parts
You could sing the Mr Hapus song once your plates are completed to celebrate.
Discuss things that make you all the children feel happy and things that make them sad.
Welsh words:
- hapus – happy
- Trist - sad
- Gwennu – smiling
- Trwyn – nose
- Llygaid – eyes
- Clustiau – ears
- Ceg – mouth
- Teimladau – feelings
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