Reflecting the importance of the early years, our programme for government commits us to continuing our support for our flagship Flying Start programme. Working with our colleagues in Plaid Cymru as part of the co-operation agreement, we have extended our commitment to deliver a phased expansion of early years provision to include all two-year-olds, with a particular emphasis on strengthening Welsh-medium provision.

In March this year, I announced that the expansion of early years provision would initially be delivered through our Flying Start programme, with the first phase starting this September, this month. The initial expansion will provide Flying Start services to up to 2,500 additional children across Wales under the age of four. These children and their families will benefit from increased access to health visitors, support with speech, language and communication, parenting services, and access to Flying Start childcare for children aged two to three. I'm pleased to inform Members of the Senedd that this additional provision is already being delivered across Wales, and along with the Plaid Cymru designated Member, Siân Gwenllian, I want to thank our local authorities and wider early years partners for ensuring that this expansion could happen so quickly. We've had a tremendous response from them.

I'm now able to confirm that the second phase of expansion will focus on delivering the childcare element of Flying Start to even more two-year-olds. This approach will build on that taken in phase 1, working with our local authority partners and the childcare sector to provide the highest quality provision. Starting with some of our most disadvantaged communities, delivery will begin in April, and over the following two years, we will invest £26 million in expanding Flying Start childcare. This investment will allow the reach of Flying Start childcare provision to expand significantly, supporting long-term, positive impacts on the lives of those children and families across Wales facing the greatest challenges, and never has it been needed more.

I'm pleased to say that we have already published detailed draft guidance for our partners and the sector. This will enable early planning to take place at a local level so that we can make rapid progress towards achieving our goal of providing the best possible early years experience for all children in Wales. Over this period, we'll also be seeking to significantly increase the availability of Welsh-medium childcare provision. The co-operation agreement commitment also emphasises the importance of supporting Welsh-medium early years provision. I'm pleased to announce a package of measures to support existing Welsh-medium settings and childcare workers, as well as those wanting to enter the children's workforce. Additional funding of up to £3.787 million will be provided to Cwlwm over the next three financial years to support a range of measures, including additional and bespoke Welsh language training, dedicated support to Welsh-medium settings, and those seeking to increase their use of the Welsh language, as well as training courses delivered through the medium of Welsh.

This funding will support us to attract more Welsh speakers into the workforce. It will provide opportunities for Welsh learners and Welsh speakers within the existing workforce to improve their language skills, and it will deliver a continuous programme of professional development for Welsh speakers within the workforce. Funding will support existing settings to expand into Welsh-medium provision, as well as enabling new, dedicated Welsh-medium settings to open. And, as I said earlier, I've been working very closely on this with the designated Member, Siân Gwenllian.

Increasing capacity across the childcare sector will be integral to driving forward this expansion, working across all parts of the sector. Since 2006, we have invested over £160 million in childcare settings across Wales through our Flying Start and childcare offer capital programmes. Building on this success, I'm pleased to announce a new three-year capital programme of £70 million, which all registered childcare settings will have the opportunity to access. Our existing funding has supported Flying Start settings to develop and maintain the infrastructure required to deliver the full complement of services to eligible children and their families. This has included high-quality childcare settings and venues suitable for delivering parenting and early language and development programmes.

The additional £70 million will fund major capital works, as well as a small grant to allow settings to apply for financial support for minor capital improvements and essential maintenance across the Flying Start and childcare estate in Wales. Guidance on the new application process will be issued to local authorities in the coming weeks.

This is a significant step forward. It is £100 million all together into the childcare sector, it is a result of the co-operation agreement between Labour and Plaid Cymru, and I’m really very proud that we’re able to make this announcement in the Senedd today.