Childcare Funding (Wales) Act 2019

The Childcare Funding (Wales) Act 2019 (the Act) imposes a duty on the Welsh Ministers to fund childcare for the children of working parents, as long as the children and parents meet specific eligibility criteria. 

The Act also gives the Welsh Ministers the power to make regulations so arrangements can be made for a national application and eligibility checking system for the childcare funding scheme. This will permit data sharing between relevant Government bodies such as His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and other UK Government Departments. 

The Explanatory Notes to the Act provide detailed commentary on the various provisions. 

Coming into force:

Sections 13 and 14 came into force on 31 January 2019, which was the day after the Act received Royal Assent. Section 13 of the Act provides for the other provisions of the Act to come into force when one or more orders are made by the Welsh Ministers.  No commencement orders have yet been made under this Act.

Subordinate legislation made under the Act:

No subordinate legislation has been made under this Act.

Consideration of the legislation by the Senedd:

The Bill was introduced by introduced by Huw Irranca-Davies MS, (the then) Minister for Children, Older People and Social Care on 16 April 2018, and passed by Senedd Cymru (the then National Assembly for Wales) on 12 December 2018.

More information about the Bill is available on the Senedd’s website, including a record of the passage of the Bill through the Senedd and the Explanatory Memorandum that was prepared by the Welsh Government (as revised after Stage 2).

The Act received Royal Assent on 30 January 2019.