Translate the text from English to Welsh.



 
On 23 March, I provided Assembly Members with an update on progress in developing the Childcare Offer for Wales, and specifically the areas within the 7 early implementer local authorities where the offer would be available from September 2017\.


All 7 early implementer local authorities will be open for applications from eligible parents by the end of June in order to process the applications and confirm eligibility in time for parents to make their childcare arrangements for September.


The focus of our childcare offer is supporting working families.  To access the offer from September, qualifying parents will need to:


* have an eligible child within the age range
* live within the specified areas of the seven early implementer local authorities, and
* meet the definition of a working parent as set out below.


For the purposes of our early implementation, a ‘working parent’ refers to parents and guardians who are working and earn, on average, a weekly minimum amount equivalent of 16 hours at national minimum wage (NMW) or national living wage (NLW). Both parents in a two parent family, or the sole parent in a lone parent family, will need to meet this requirement. Our definition of ‘working’ includes those who are employed or self\-employed, and parents on zero hour contracts, where they can demonstrate they meet the minimum earnings over a 3 month period.


Detailed guidance for the 7 early implementer local authorities will be published on our website later today.


Parents in pilot areas can contact the early implementer local authorities or their local Family Information Services for more information or help with their applications.


However, parents are only a part of the picture. To make the childcare offer work, we need to ensure as many childcare providers as possible are engaged, and are both willing and able to deliver the government\-funded provision.


I can confirm that any childcare provider who is registered with and inspected by the Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales, or OFSTED in England, will be able to deliver the childcare element of the offer from September 2017\. Whilst the parent and child must live within one of the specified areas within the seven early implementer authorities, the childcare element of the offer can be delivered by any registered childcare setting, regardless of location. This is important to ensure parents have a choice of where they can access the offer, whether it’s close to home or to work. It should also allow a wider mix of providers to participate, providing us with valuable learning about how the offer works in practice and its impact on the sector.


One of the messages we have been receiving regularly is that setting a funding rate which is both fair and reflects the current market will be key to ensuring the participation of the childcare sector and maximising the number of childcare places available. I have therefore commissioned Alma Economics to undertake an independent economic review of the childcare sector in Wales. Their work will quantify the economic impact of the childcare sector and provide detailed breakdowns of the costs and charges required for childcare providers to operate efficiently and sustainably. This will also help inform the funding rate in the longer term.


In the meantime, I need to set a rate that childcare providers will receive from September 2017stakeholders have been very clear in their discussions with us that they favour a single national rate which will apply in all settings wherever they operate in Wales. Based on a detailed and complex analysis of data held by the Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales, local authority Childcare Sufficiency Assessments, discussions with CWLWM members and feedback from childcare providers, I have decided to set a rate of £4\.50 per hour. This will be a single funding rate across all seven early implementer local authorities, ensuring clarity and consistency of the childcare offer for every parent and provider. This rate will be for childcare only and as now childcare providers will be able to charge parents for food and any additional services provided, such as transport costs or paid for activities. However, I will expect providers to take account of guidelines we will publish in respect of any additional charges to be made.


Early Implementer authorities already have arrangements in place to deliver early education to all 3 and 4 year olds and there will be opportunities to test the alignment of the two elements which make up the 30 hours in the pilot areas.


Learning from these early implementers will be important in helping us fine\-tune policies and systems prior to a wider roll\-out. We will therefore be undertaking rigorous monitoring and evaluation of the early implementation of the childcare offer across all 7 early implementer local authorities. A contract for independent evaluation is currently out to tender.


Whilst our focus at the moment is to support these early implementers to be ready by September 2017, we continue to talk and listen to parents, providers, local authorities and others about the issues and challenges they face. Last September, I launched our \#Talkchildcare campaign. Over 6,000 parents and providers have engaged with us to date through the campaign, with 3,750 responses from parents to our \#Talkchildcare online survey. This is in addition to the \#TalkChildcare roadshow and regional provider events that were held in different locations around Wales in February and March. All the evidence and knowledge we have gained through our engagement work will be assessed over the coming months and I will publish a full report on the findings in due course.


I am grateful to the seven local authorities that will begin to deliver the childcare offer from September 2017 for their work to date and for contributions from the sector and other key stakeholders. They have all shown enthusiasm and flexibility, both in contributing to the policy development and in drawing upon their extensive experience of delivery on the ground. It has been a genuinely collaborative process in keeping with the sustainable development principle established by the Well\-being of Future Generations Act and I look forward to continuing this relationship as we deliver this offer to parents and children across Wales.







Translation:


 
Ar 23 Mawrth, rhoddais ddiweddariad i Aelodau’r Cynulliad ar gynnydd y gwaith o ddatblygu’r Cynnig Gofal Plant ar gyfer Cymru, ac yn benodol mewn ardaloedd o fewn y saith awdurdod lleol sy’n gweithredu’n gynnar lle byddai’r cynnig ar gael o fis Medi 2017\.  
  
Bydd y saith awdurdod lleol sy’n gweithredu’n gynnar yn derbyn ceisiadau gan rieni cymwys erbyn diwedd mis Mehefin er mwyn gallu prosesu’r ceisiadau a chadarnhau cymhwysedd mewn pryd i rieni wneud eu trefniadau gofal plant ar gyfer mis Medi.  
  
Mae ffocws ein cynnig gofal plant ar gefnogi teuluoedd sy’n gweithio. I fanteisio ar y cynnig o fis Medi, bydd angen i rieni sy’n gymwys:  
  
• fod â phlentyn cymwys o fewn yr amrediad oedran;  
• byw o fewn ardaloedd penodol yn y saith awdurdod lleol sy’n gweithredu’n gynnar;  
• bodloni’r diffiniad o riant sy’n gweithio fel y nodir isod.  
  
At ddibenion gweithredu’n gynnar, mae ‘rhiant sy’n gweithio’ yn cyfeirio at rieni a gwarcheidwaid sy’n gweithio ac yn ennill, ar gyfartaledd, isafswm wythnosol cyfwerth ag 16 awr o’r isafswm cyflog cenedlaethol neu’r cyflog byw cenedlaethol. Bydd angen i’r ddau riant mewn teulu dau riant, neu’r unig riant mewn teulu un rhiant, fodloni’r gofyniad hwn. Mae ein diffiniad o ‘weithio’ yn cynnwys rhieni cyflogedig neu hunangyflogedig, a rhieni ar gontractau dim oriau, lle gallant ddangos eu bod yn bodloni’r isafswm cyflog dros gyfnod o 3 mis.  
  
Bydd canllawiau manwl ar gyfer y saith awdurdod lleol sy’n gweithredu’n gynnar yn cael eu cyhoeddi ar ein gwefan yn ddiweddarach heddiw.  
  
Gall rhieni mewn ardaloedd peilot gysylltu â’r awdurdod lleol sy’n gweithredu’n gynnar neu eu Gwasanaethau Gwybodaeth i Deuluoedd lleol am ragor o wybodaeth neu am help gyda’u ceisiadau.  
  
Fodd bynnag, dim ond darn o’r darlun yw rhieni. I sicrhau bod y cynnig gofal plant yn gweithio, mae angen i ni ofalu bod cymaint o ddarparwyr gofal plant â phosibl yn cymryd rhan, ac yn fodlon ac yn gallu cynnig y ddarpariaeth a gyllidir gan y Llywodraeth.  
  
Gallaf gadarnhau y bydd unrhyw ddarparwr gofal plant sydd wedi’i gofrestru gydag Arolygiaeth Gofal a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol Cymru, neu OFSTED yn Lloegr, ac sydd wedi’u harolygu ganddynt, yn gallu darparu elfen gofal plant y cynnig o fis Medi 2017\. Er bod yn rhaid i’r rhiant a’r plentyn fyw o fewn un o’r ardaloedd penodol yn y saith awdurdod lleol sy’n gweithredu’n gynnar, gall unrhyw leoliad gofal plant cofrestredig ddarparu elfen gofal plant y cynnig, ble bynnag y maent wedi’u lleoli. Mae hyn yn bwysig i sicrhau bod gan rieni ddewis o ran ble gallant fanteisio ar y cynnig, p’run a yw hynny’n agos i gartref neu’r gwaith. Dylai hefyd olygu bod cymysgedd ehangach o ddarparwyr yn gallu cymryd rhan, gan roi gwybodaeth werthfawr i ni am sut mae’r cynnig yn gweithio yn ymarferol a’i effaith ar y sector.  
  
Un o’r negesuon rydym wedi’i derbyn yn gyson yw y bydd gosod cyfradd gyllido sy’n deg ac sy’n adlewyrchu’r farchnad bresennol yn hollbwysig i sicrhau cyfranogiad y sector gofal plant a sicrhau bod cymaint o leoedd gofal plant â phosibl ar gael. Felly, rwyf wedi comisiynu Alma Economics i gynnal adolygiad economaidd annibynnol o’r sector gofal plant yng Nghymru. Bydd eu gwaith yn mesur effaith economaidd y sector gofal plant ac yn darparu dadansoddiadau manwl o’r costau a’r taliadau sy’n ofynnol i ddarparwyr gofal plant weithredu yn effeithlon a chynaliadwy. Bydd hyn hefyd yn helpu i lywio’r gyfradd gyllido yn y tymor hirach.  
  
Yn y cyfamser, mae angen i mi osod cyfradd y bydd darparwyr gofal plant yn ei derbyn o fis Medi 2017\. Mae rhanddeiliaid wedi dweud yn gwbl glir yn eu trafodaethau â ni eu bod o blaid cyfradd genedlaethol sengl a fydd yn gymwys ym mhob lleoliad waeth ble maent yn gweithredu yng Nghymru. Ar sail proses fanwl a chymhleth o ddadansoddi data sy’n cael ei dal gan Arolygiaeth Gofal a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol Cymru, Asesiadau Digonolrwydd Gofal Plant awdurdodau lleol, trafodaethau ag aelodau CWLWM ac adborth gan ddarparwyr gofal plant, rwyf wedi penderfynu gosod cyfradd o £4\.50 yr awr. Bydd hon yn gyfradd gyllido sengl ar draws y saith awdurdod lleol sy’n gweithredu’n gynnar, gan sicrhau eglurder a chysondeb y cynnig gofal plant i bob rhiant a darparwr. Bydd y gyfradd hon am ofal plant yn unig gan fod darparwyr gofal plant bellach yn gallu codi ar rieni am fwyd ac unrhyw wasanaethau ychwanegol a ddarperir, fel costau trafnidiaeth neu weithgareddau y telir amdanynt. Fodd bynnag, byddaf yn disgwyl i ddarparwyr ystyried canllawiau y byddwn yn eu cyhoeddi mewn perthynas ag unrhyw daliadau ychwanegol i’w gwneud.  
  
Mae gan awdurdodau sy’n gweithredu’n gynnar drefniadau ar waith eisoes i ddarparu addysg gynnar i bob plentyn 3 a 4 oed a bydd cyfleoedd i brofi cysondeb y ddwy elfen o’r 30 awr yn yr ardaloedd peilot.  
  
Bydd yn bwysig i ni ddysgu gan y gweithredwyr cynnar hyn er mwyn gallu mireinio ein polisïau a’n systemau cyn eu cyflwyno’n ehangach. Felly, byddwn yn monitro ac yn gwerthuso gweithrediad cynnar y cynnig gofal plant gyda llygad barcud ledled y saith awdurdod sy’n gweithredu’n gynnar. Mae contract ar gyfer gwerthuso annibynnol wedi’i roi allan i dendro ar hyn o bryd.  
  
Er ein bod yn canolbwyntio ar hyn o bryd ar gefnogi’r gweithredwyr cynnar hyn i fod yn barod ar gyfer mis Medi 2017, rydym yn parhau i siarad â rhieni, darparwyr, awdurdodau lleol ac eraill ac yn gwrando arnynt am y problemau a’r heriau a wynebant. Fis Medi y llynedd, lansiais ein hymgyrch \#TrafodGofalPlant. Mae dros 6,000 o rieni a darparwyr wedi ymgysylltu â ni hyd yma drwy’r ymgyrch, gyda 3,750 o ymatebion gan rieni i’n harolwg ar\-lein \#TrafodGofalPlant. Mae hyn yn ogystal â’r sioe deithiol \#TrafodGofalPlant a’r digwyddiadau darparwyr rhanbarthol a gynhaliwyd mewn gwahanol leoliadau ledled Cymru ym misoedd Chwefror a Mawrth. Bydd yr holl dystiolaeth a’r wybodaeth a gasglwyd drwy ein gwaith ymgysylltu yn cael eu hasesu yn ystod y misoedd nesaf a byddaf yn cyhoeddi adroddiad llawn ar y canfyddiadau maes o law.  
  
Rwy’n ddiolchgar i’r saith awdurdod lleol a fydd yn dechrau darparu’r cynnig gofal plant o fis Medi 2017 am eu gwaith hyd yma ac am gyfraniadau gan y sector a rhanddeiliaid allweddol eraill. Maent i gyd wedi dangos brwdfrydedd a hyblygrwydd, wrth gyfrannu at ddatblygu polisi ac wrth bwyso ar eu profiad eang o ddarparu ar lawr gwlad. Mae wedi bod yn broses gydweithredol go iawn yn unol â’r egwyddor datblygu cynaliadwy a sefydlwyd gan y Ddeddf Llesiant a Chenedlaethau’r Dyfodol ac edrychaf ymlaen at barhau â’r berthynas hon wrth i ni ddarparu’r cynnig hwn i rieni a phlant ledled Cymru.