I have young kids
Five of six parties promise funded childcare from 9 months. The catch is who qualifies — and whether children can rely on the schools and NHS as they grow up.
Who should get free childcare in Wales?
Start the quiz →What each party promises you.
- Education & Skillsconcretep.23
New statutory School Support Staff Negotiating Body
A new statutory School Support Staff Negotiating Body will be established to deliver a fairer deal for school support staff, with year-round pay and access to professional learning as its first priorities.
- Education & Skillsconcretep.27
Phase in funded childcare from nine months old
Funded childcare will be phased in to cover babies from nine months old, with 20,000 new funded childcare spaces to be created as part of a phased plan over the Senedd term.
- Health & Careconcretep.15
£4 billion Hospitals of the Future Fund for new hospitals
A £4 billion Hospitals of the Future Fund will build state-of-the-art new hospitals, including replacing Wrexham Maelor Hospital and University Hospital Wales, and a major hospital development in West Wales.
- Health & Careconcretep.15
48-hour guarantee to see a primary care team member
Anyone with a pressing primary care-related health need will be guaranteed to be seen by a member of the primary care team within 48 hours. More care will move closer to home with new community diagnostic services and extended pharmacy-based care.
- Education & Skillsconcretep.25
Establish All-Wales Education Advisory Service to promote good practice
An All-Wales Education Advisory Service will be established to identify and spread good practice across schools in Wales.
- Education & Skillsconcretep.26
Establish Welsh Excellence Fund for more able and talented pupils
A Welsh Excellence Fund will be established to help more able and talented pupils realise their full potential.
- Health & Careconcretep.17
Clear the NHS waiting time backlog by the end of the Senedd term
The NHS waiting time backlog will be cleared so that by the end of the Senedd term no one has an unacceptable wait for treatment, supported by an urgent review of hospital bed capacity.
- Health & Careconcretep.19
Establish a 21st Century Hospitals Fund for new and modernised hospitals
A 21st Century Hospitals Fund will be established to build new hospitals and modernise the hospital and primary care estate across Wales.
- Education & Skillsconcretep.35
Deliver universal 20-hour childcare offer for all children aged 9 months to 4 years
A universal childcare offer will be built progressively to 20 hours per week for all children aged 9 months to 4 years, for 48 weeks a year, while honouring the existing 30-hour offer for 3- and 4-year-olds whose parents are in work, education or training. At full rollout this will be worth more than £30,000 per child in the first four years of life, making it the most generous government-funded childcare programme anywhere in the UK.
- Education & Skillsconcretep.9
Ensure a library space in every primary school in Wales by 2030
By 2030, every primary school in Wales will have a dedicated library space, giving every child access to a setting that fosters a lifelong love of reading in both Welsh and English.
- Health & Careconcretep.17
Hire up to 100 additional salaried GPs for out-of-hours care
Up to 100 new salaried GPs will be recruited with a focus on improving out-of-hours access to primary care, alleviating pressure on A&E departments and other frontline hospital services.
- Health & Careconcretep.17
Create 10 new surgical hubs to cut waiting times
Implementing recommendations from the Royal College of Surgeons, 10 new surgical hubs will be established dedicated to high-volume procedures such as hip and knee replacements, hernia operations and cataract removals, developing into centres of excellence for orthopaedics and ophthalmology.
- Education & Skillsconcretep.20
Guarantee free high-quality childcare for every child from nine months
Free, high-quality childcare for every child from nine months to four years old will be guaranteed — 30 hours a week, 48 weeks a year.
- Education & Skillsconcretep.21
Ensure one Welsh and one English medium point of education within reasonable travel times by 2035
The Schools Organisation Code will be updated to require councils to provide at least one Welsh medium and one English medium point of education within a one-hour drive in rural areas and 30 minutes in urban areas by 2035.
- Health & Careconcretep.11
End corridor care with up to 5,000 new nursing-care placements
Up to 5,000 new or refurbished nursing-care placements, built to modern standards and designed around independence, dignity, and person-centred care, will be created to free up hospital beds and bring down waiting lists.
- Health & Careconcretep.11
Guarantee 100% of cancer patients start treatment within 62 days
A guarantee will be introduced that 100% of patients start cancer treatment within 62 days from urgent referral, as part of a National Cancer Plan for Wales, to boost survival rates.
- Education & Skillsconcretep.33
Introduce universal childcare from nine months without minimum hours requirement
Universal childcare will be introduced for children aged nine months to four years, without requiring parents to work a minimum number of hours. A universal block of 20 hours will be established with additional funded hours on a sliding scale of fees based on income, available for 48 weeks per year, with plans to expand to 30 hours for 2–4 year olds over time.
- Education & Skillsconcretep.34
Create statutory negotiating body for school support staff with year-round pay
A statutory negotiating body will be created to represent school support staff. Support staff will receive year-round pay, and teachers will receive clearer guidance on planning and preparation time, with minimum PPA time increased from 10% to 15%.
- Health & Careconcretep.19
Extend National Neurodivergence Improvement Programme beyond 2027
The National Neurodivergence Improvement Programme will be extended beyond 2027, with increased investment in early intervention, improved diagnostic capacity, expanded multidisciplinary pathways, and strengthened coordination between primary care, community services, and specialists.
- Health & Careconcretep.20
Establish endometriosis centres in every health board
An inclusive, rights-based approach to women's health will be delivered, including endometriosis centres in every health board, improved menopause support in healthcare and workplaces, access to reproductive and gynaecological care, and continued free period products in schools and colleges.
- Education & Skillsdirectionalp.18
Reform Curriculum for Wales to focus on core subjects
The Curriculum for Wales will be amended to focus on core subjects including maths and science, restore phonics-based reading instruction, remove what the party characterises as ideological content from lessons, and increase focus on physical education.
- Education & Skillsdirectionalp.18
End WJEC's de facto monopoly and improve exam board choice
The de facto monopoly of the Welsh Joint Education Committee will be ended by improving exam board choice, including through curriculum changes that reduce the volume of non-examination assessments which have created workload and consistency concerns.
- Health & Careconcretep.12
Eliminate routine corridor care by end of Senedd term
National patient flow standards will be set, discharge planning integrated, and step-down and intermediate care capacity addressed to free acute beds. By the end of the four-year term, corridor care will be classified as a reportable safety incident.
- Health & Careconcretep.13
Establish a new dental school in Bangor
A new dental school will be established in Bangor for Bangor and Aberystwyth universities, on the basis that training dentists close to where they are needed makes it more likely they will remain in Wales.
The choices that matter most.
- Education & Skills
Who should get free childcare in Wales?
Answer it → - Education & Skills
What should Welsh schools focus on most — discipline, or wellbeing?
Answer it → - Education & Skills
Should Wales let schools run independently of councils, like in England?
Answer it → - Health & Care
What's the most important thing to fix in the Welsh NHS?
Answer it → - Health & Care
Should the Welsh NHS run a specialist gender service for under-17s?
Answer it →