The early years are a crucial stage in a child’s life for acquiring a language, whether as a first or additional language.
Welsh-medium provision in childcare and early years education is also an essential gateway to Welsh-medium primary and secondary education, supporting children and families across Wales to access learning through the Welsh language.
Through our new and ambitious childcare offer, Plaid Cymru will significantly expand Welsh-medium early years provision.
We will:
- Create new Welsh-medium childcare places and support the establishment and growth of Welsh-medium childcare settings across Wales, working in partnership with key stakeholders such as Mudiad Meithrin.
- Invest in programmes to promote and develop the Welsh-language skills of early years practitioners and childcare workers, including schemes and incentives to support workers to learn Welsh and to strengthen their existing language skills.
We will also review and expand plans to encourage and improve language transmission within families, supporting parents to choose to use Welsh with babies and young children, and promoting initiatives that strengthen the use of Welsh in the home through pre- and postnatal health services.