PARENTS may soon have to pay for their child’s early-morning care it has emerged.

Gwynedd residents are invited to have their say on proposals to change the way early-morning childcare is provided in the county’s primary schools.

At present, many schools offer early morning childcare between 8am and 8.50am. As part of this scheme, the Welsh Government free school breakfast initiative is delivered.

Due to the “huge financial pressure” facing Gwynedd Council as a result of cuts in funding received in recent years, reducing the amount spent on early morning school childcare was one of the options put forward as part of the Gwynedd Challenge public consultation exercise last year.

According to the local authority, the proposal was not ‘prioritised’ by local people as a service that should be protected, so the council has been looking at ways in which it can deliver the required £100,000 saving whilst continuing to offer free primary school breakfasts.

There are two options being considered by Gwynedd Council.

The first suggests providing free school breakfasts between 8.25am and 8.50am, but doing away with the free school childcare which is provided between 8am and 8.25am.

However, the second option incurs costs and suggests providing free school breakfasts between 8.25am and 8.50am and introducing a fee for providing childcare to those who want it between 8am and 8.25am.

If this option was chosen, no fee would be charged for the free school breakfast between 8.25am and 8.50am.

Cllr Gareth Thomas, Gwynedd Council cabinet member for education said: “As every resident knows, the amount of funding the council receives to deliver local services has been cut dramatically by the government over a number of years.

“We have looked at ways in which other councils have made changes to the service whilst continuing to deliver free school breakfasts as at present, and we have identified two possible ways forward for Gwynedd.

“We are now inviting residents and parents of primary school pupils in particular, to have their say on their preferred option by filling in a short questionnaire – either on the council website or by filling a paper questionnaire available in local libraries and Siop Gwynedd.

“Letters will also be distributed to parents through the schools over the coming weeks urging them to complete the survey.”

Local people have until 1 September, to fill in the survey, and the responses will be considered in full before a report on a recommended way forward is presented to the council cabinet in October.

To access the survey, visit: www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/breakfast-club

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