Parents of two-year-olds in Monmouthshire are receiving less free childcare offers from the Welsh Government than anywhere else in South Wales, according to new data.

This week, Plaid Cymru announced it would be funding childcare for two-year-olds across Wales in over 22,000 instances after its budget was passed, owing to a deal on funding for additional learning needs with Welsh Labour.

But the recent Flying Start report, which was published in September this year, shows that of the free childcare places that were offered to two-year-olds in Wales during the year 2025/26, just 301 of those were from Monmouthshire. The smallest recorded figure was in Anglesey, at 288.

The figure is less than half of the amount offers given to families in the neighbouring areas of Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent.

The Welsh Government has instructed local councils to rebrand the childcare provisions as Welsh government-funded childcare, moving away from the ‘Flying Start’ name, which was adopted by Welsh Labour when the party was in power.

As part of the rollout, families are offered 12-and-a-half hours of funded childcare per week for two-year-olds. Eligibility is determined by the postcode area where the child lives, not household income. Eventually, the Welsh Government wants to increase this sum to 20 hours per week over the course of 48 weeks.

However Welsh Labour claims the government is taking credit for its plan to reach the milestone in the first place. The former Cabinet Secretary for Education has slammed Plaid Cymru for failing to expand the rollout.

“Plaid Cymru are taking credit for work that Welsh Labour put in motion,” said Lynne Neagle MS.

“Under Welsh Labour, Flying Start childcare was being delivered in every Welsh local authority with more than 22,000 free childcare places offered to two-year-olds through the scheme last year.”

Ms Neagle, who now represents Monmouthshire in the Senedd, claimed the 22,658 places offered across Wales were already part of her plan when her party was in power.

“Reaching this milestone was always part of Welsh Labour’s plans,” she said.