The Childcare Act 2006 Regulations places a duty on Local Authorities to “prepare and publish assessments of the sufficiency of the provision of childcare in its area”.
The Childcare Sufficiency Assessments (CSA) “must be prepared and published at five yearly intervals”, however, following the Covid-19 pandemic, the new full CSA must be submitted to the Welsh Government by 30th June 2022.
The legislation and accompanying guidance states that the key tasks that the Local Authority is required to undertake to assess the supply of childcare are:
• to identify the demand for childcare
• to analyse if gaps exist and to develop an action plan to deliver the Local Authority duty to secure, “so far as is reasonably practicable, sufficient childcare to meet local needs of parents, (albeit for working parents or parents undertaking education or training) to assist them to obtain work.”
Regards must be given to families wishing to access childcare:
• through the medium of Welsh.
• for children with a disability or additional need.
• for those wishing to access childcare, funded via Flying Start, the Childcare Offer, employer supported vouchers or tax-free childcare, and lower income families.
Childcare: statutory guidance for local authorities (gov.wales) https://www.legislation.gov.uk/wsi/2016/88/made
Approval is sought for the draft Cardiff CSA to be translated and hosted on Cardiff Council website for the statutory 28-day consultation period
Approval is sought for delegated officer powers to sign-off the post-consultation version for subsequent submission to Welsh Government by June 2022
Decision type: Key
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Notice of proposed decision first published: 12/11/2021
Decision due: 20 Jan 2022 by Cabinet
Lead member: Cabinet Member for Children & Families
Lead director: Corporate Director of People and Communities
Scrutiny Consideration: Green