16 Councils Selected for First Trial of Extension of Wraparound Care

16 Councils Selected for First Trial of Extension of Wraparound Care

The Government recently announced the 16 councils that they will work with to develop plans to implement the planned expansion of wraparound care. The government announced back in March their ambition for all parents of primary school aged children to have access to childcare in their local area between 8am and 6pm and the promise that they would ensure all schools in England offer wraparound care by September 2026.

The work with these 16 councils is seen as the first steps in implementing this wraparound care expansion. The 16 local authority areas selected are expected to be the first to rollout the wraparound care from summer 2024, before the scheme is expanded to further councils from September 2024.

All councils in England, including ones not on the list of 16, will begin to receive their share of £289 million in funding assigned to help deliver the expansion from January 2024. The long-term funding of the scheme still needs to be finalised, but the Department for Education have stated that more funding will be available from 2024/2025 and a consultation on how this is distributed will take place beforehand. 

The 16 councils selected are:

• Barnsley

• Blackburn with Darwen

• Cambridgeshire

• Central Bedfordshire

• Cornwall

• Dudley

• Gateshead

• Hampshire

• Hartlepool

• Hull

• Merton

• Newham

• Norfolk

• Nottinghamshire

• Sheffield

• Wiltshire