Nursery World - Money runs out for out-of-school care

Lack of money has stopped the final round of out-of-school childcare funding by the New Opportunities Fund (NOF) in Wales. A final application round for grants due on 15 February is not now taking place. A NOF spokeswoman said that resources 'have always been finite' and added that previous rounds had successfully distributed around 14m for more than 20,000 places in the out-of-school-hours childcare programme in Wales since 1999.

A final application round for grants due on 15 February is not now taking place. A NOF spokeswoman said that resources 'have always been finite' and added that previous rounds had successfully distributed around 14m for more than 20,000 places in the out-of-school-hours childcare programme in Wales since 1999.

Ceri Doyle, NOF director in Wales, said, 'The programme has been so successful in Wales, due to the hard work of development workers, Early Years Development and Childcare Partnerships and, more recently, Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids' Club, that the total amount of funding has been distributed sooner than the original time-scale suggested.'

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