The Welsh government’s Childcare Offer will receive a fresh rate rise.

On 6 April 2026, the per-hour charge rises by 4.18 per cent to reach £6.67.

The boost aims to address the elevated National Living Wage along with mounting overheads.

Dawn Bowden MS, the Welsh Government’s minister for children and social care, disclosed the update.

The choice followed input collected from childcare providers during a summer 2025 survey.

Bowden noted this rate represents one of the most generous comparable rates across the United Kingdom.

Alongside the hourly charge, the maximum meal fee will similarly rise by 4.18 per cent.

The revisions form part of a push to preserve equilibrium in expenditure for both families and childcare providers.

The alterations stem from a change in the frequency of Welsh Government assessments of the Childcare Offer rate.

Commencing April 2025, evaluations shifted from happening every three years to occurring annually.

Ministers stated the objective was to render funding choices more open and responsive to the genuine difficulties confronting childcare providers.

The administration intends to keep cooperating with childcare providers and additional stakeholders to identify methods for underlining the sector’s longevity and progress.

This will occur within the structure of funded childcare programmes.