Key Points
- Highlight the disparity between England and Wales, where England offers 30 hours of free childcare for children aged nine months to four years, unlike Wales.
- Describe how Robin Lloyd relocated from Wales to England to access affordable childcare, incurring £15,000 moving costs to support her family planning.
- Explain Wales’s Flying Start scheme provides 12.5 hours of free childcare weekly for two- to three-year-olds, aiming to expand but currently covers just over half of two-year-olds.
From her kitchen window in Monmouthshire, Robin Lloyd could see a different world just across the border. There, in the English countryside, families were eligible for free childcare for their babies as young as nine months old—a benefit she and her husband, living in Wales, could only dream about. For Robin, a 35-year-old nurse, the difference was more than theoretical; it was a matter of family planning and financial survival.
“I realised that I would be paying almost double my mortgage each month in childcare in Wales but I could see England out of my window and the people in the houses over there would be having financial support,” Robin told BBC News. The prospect of unaffordable childcare meant delaying her hopes for a second child. Ultimately, she and her husband made the difficult decision to leave Chepstow and relocate just 30 minutes away to Gloucestershire, England. The move cost them £15,000 in solicitors’ fees and stamp duty, but, as Robin put it, “was going to be a heck of a lot cheaper than trying to pay childcare in Wales.”
Robin’s story is far from unique. Across the borderlands of England and Wales, families are making tough choices, balancing the costs of raising children against the patchwork of government support available. The divergence in policy has become a flashpoint, fueling political debate and personal anguish in equal measure.
Since September 1, 2025, working parents in England have been offered 30 hours of free childcare per week during term time for children aged nine months to four years old. While there have been concerns about the availability of places and the cost of extra, unfunded hours, families like Robin’s have found the support transformative. “That makes it far more affordable for somebody like me who’s just a nurse,” she said. “I don’t have megabucks to be able to afford a home for my family and to have childcare. I’m really sad about it. I’ve left my home. But ultimately, if it means I can have the family, it’s worth it.”
In Wales, the situation is more complex. There is currently no childcare funding for children under two years old. The Welsh government is expanding free childcare for two-year-olds through the Flying Start scheme, which provides 12.5 hours of free care per week for two- to three-year-olds. By the end of the 2024-25 financial year, the scheme had reached 15,901 children—about 52% of two-year-olds in Wales. With an extra £25 million in funding for 2025-26, the government expects to reach more than 4,000 additional children, prioritizing the most disadvantaged areas.
Merthyr Tydfil became the first county in Wales to offer a place to all two-year-olds under the Flying Start programme. For some parents, like Grace, whose daughter attends Little Rascals nursery, the support is “invaluable.” She emphasized the importance of making the program available to all parents of young children, not just those who are working, saying it creates a “level playing field.” Another parent, Ana, whose son attends forest school in Merthyr, lamented, “It’s such a shame that there are swathes of our country that don’t benefit from that. You just have to set foot inside one of these nurseries to find out how children love being around each other and learning from each other.”
Local authorities in Merthyr have worked hard to ensure “100% of early years providers” can offer Flying Start places, according to Sarah Ostler, the council’s early years and Flying Start manager. “This has been achieved over a considerable period of time, ensuring that we’ve got enough childcare places and that’s really important in all of this—making sure that whatever we commit to we’ve got enough childcare places,” Ostler explained.
But not all Welsh families are so fortunate. In Monmouthshire, Conservative county councillor Lisa Dymock described how parents are “acutely aware of the different offer over the border in England.” Many who moved from Bristol to Monmouthshire expected the same support, only to discover they weren’t eligible. “Whilst they may have settled and live in a lovely location like south-east Monmouthshire, they’ve now realised [they’re] not entitled to this free childcare and they’re having to re-examine their budgets and their outgoings, which is hard for a young family,” Dymock told BBC News.
Childcare costs in Wales are described as “cripplingly expensive,” with some families paying £1,500 a month for just one child—an amount that can exceed their mortgage. Rising costs are a barrier to employment and a source of frustration for parents who want to work and raise their children without facing impossible financial choices. “It’s not unusual,” one councillor shared, “and it’s a real strain on household finances.”
In October 2025, Conservative councillors in Monmouthshire proposed a motion calling on the Welsh Government to match England’s entitlement of 30 hours free childcare from nine months old. The motion was unanimously supported by councillors of all parties, including Labour. The council subsequently sent a letter to the Welsh Government requesting consideration of a more generous childcare policy. Councillor Richard John expressed hope that all parties would pledge to improve childcare provision ahead of the Senedd election next year. “Improving childcare is not just about helping families, it’s about strengthening our economy, supporting childcare providers and giving children the best start in life,” he wrote in a local opinion piece.
The Welsh government, for its part, argues its approach is both sustainable and progressive. A spokesperson said its childcare programmes are “making a real difference for families across Wales,” with the Flying Start programme now being extended to all two-year-olds. The government emphasizes that its Childcare Offer for Wales, which provides up to 30 hours per week of care for three- and four-year-olds, is more generous than England’s scheme. “Unlike in England, it is available to parents in training and education as well as those in work and is available 48 weeks per year, compared to England’s 38 weeks,” the spokesperson said.
Political parties are positioning themselves ahead of the next Senedd election. Plaid Cymru has pledged at least 20 hours’ free childcare for 48 weeks a year to all children nine months to four years old by 2031. The Welsh Liberal Democrats propose 30 hours per week for children from nine months to school age and investment in school holiday provision. The Welsh Conservatives have confirmed they would match England’s offer of 30 hours a week for working parents of nine-month to four-year-olds during term time. Welsh Labour says it is “proud” to be rolling out free childcare for two-year-olds, providing a tax break for nurseries, and expanding subsidised childcare for three- and four-year-olds. Reform UK is preparing its own manifesto, promising “real change Wales needs.”
As the debate continues, families like Robin Lloyd’s are left to make hard decisions. “I’m really sad about it. I’ve left my home. But ultimately, if it means I can have the family, it’s worth it,” she reflected. The choices made by governments on either side of the border are shaping not just policies, but lives and futures—one nursery place at a time.
