English: I think you're absolutely right, Chair, that there are multiple objectives here in terms of improving provision for children, and thinking of their needs in terms of their developmental needs, their health and well-being needs and their cognitive development needs, and what we know from United Nations evidence and from charities such as Save the Children is that the more investment there is in childcare policy and early years, and beyond that in terms of age groups, then the greater the benefits there are in terms of well-being, child development, tackling poverty and so on and so forth. So, in terms of those areas where we would wish to see changes, we've already mentioned the need to increase investment in terms of the Welsh language, and Jane and I are collaborating in order to fill existing gaps in the out-of-school sector, as well as in the early years sector. It's very important to increase awareness among parents of the importance of registered childcare, registered with Care Inspectorate Wales, because there are still a number of childcare providers who are operating without registration, and that is worrying to us in terms of the possible impact on children. In the manifesto for the Welsh Parliament elections, Mudiad Meithrin, with the support of a number of other childcare bodies, supported a move towards including two-year-old children in the childcare offer, because the fact of the matter is that by the time a child is three or four years old, then parents and mothers will have resumed work for some years, and we know that there is huge pressure on families in that initial period, when children are very young. So, as an initial step, we would argue for the inclusion of two-year-old children in the childcare offer and hope to make improvements to that in time. And perhaps the most important point is this: it's fine for us to talk and philosophise around all of this, but what we need is a professional, qualified workforce that is financially recognised for what they deliver, and therefore we feel it's very timely for us to be looking at the funding provision through the childcare offer, and we support the move towards increasing it to at least £5 per hour. There is a suggestion that that is very likely to happen, but the funding rate has remained stubbornly at £4.50 an hour for over four years. This, in turn, would help to invest further in the field, in the workforce and in terms of resources and activities for the children as well.
Welsh: Dwi'n meddwl eich bod chi'n iawn, Gadeirydd, fod yna nodau neu amcanion deublyg yn perthyn yma o safbwynt gwella darpariaeth i blant, a meddwl am eu hanghenion nhw o safbwynt eu hanghenion datblygiadol, eu hanghenion iechyd a lles, eu hanghenion gwybyddol nhw, a'r hyn dŷn ni'n gwybod o dystiolaeth y Cenhedloedd Unedig ac elusennau fel Achub y Plant ydy po fwyaf o fuddsoddiad sydd yna ym maes polisi gofal plant a'r blynyddoedd cynnar, a thu hwnt i hynny o ran oedran, po fwyaf o fuddiannau sydd yna o safbwynt llesiant, datblygiad y plentyn, trechu tlodi, ac yn y blaen. Felly, o ran y meysydd ble byddwn i yn dymuno gweld newid, dŷn ni'n barod wedi siarad am yr angen i gynyddu buddsoddiad ym maes y Gymraeg, ac mae Jane a fi yn cydweithio er mwyn llenwi bylchau sydd yn bodoli yn y sector all-ysgol, yn ogystal â'r sector blynyddoedd cynnar. Mae'n bwysig iawn cynyddu ymwybyddiaeth ymysg rhieni o bwysigrwydd gofal plant wedi'i gofrestru, wedi'i gofrestru gydag AGC, Arolygiaeth Gofal Cymru, oherwydd mae yna'n dal i fod nifer o ddarparwyr gofal plant sydd yn gweithredu heb gofrestru, ac mae hynny'n ein poeni ni, o safbwynt yr impact posib sydd yna ar blant. Yn y maniffesto ar gyfer etholiadau Senedd Cymru, fe wnaeth Mudiad Meithrin, gyda chefnogaeth gan nifer o fudiadau gofal plant hefyd, gefnogi'r symudiad tuag at gynnwys plant dwyflwydd yn y cynnig gofal plant, oherwydd y gwirionedd ydy, erbyn bod y plentyn yn dair a phedair oed, mae rhieni a mamau wedi dychwelyd i'r gweithle ers rhai blynyddoedd, a dŷn ni'n gwybod bod yna bwysau enfawr ar deuluoedd yn y cyfnod cychwynnol hwnnw pan fo babis yn ifanc iawn, ac felly, fel cam cychwynnol, mi fyddwn i yn dadlau dros gynnwys plant dwy flwydd oed yn y cynnig gofal plant, gan obeithio gwella ar hynny maes o law. Ac efallai mai'r pwynt pwysicaf ydy hyn: mae'n iawn inni siarad a damcaniaethu ynglŷn â hyn oll, ond yr hyn dŷn ni angen ydy gweithlu proffesiynol, cymwys, sydd yn cael cydnabyddiaeth ariannol o'r hyn maen nhw'n ei wneud, ac felly dŷn ni'n teimlo ei bod hi'n amserol hefyd inni fod yn edrych ar gynyddu y cyfradd cyllido drwy'r cynnig gofal plant, ac yn cefnogi'r symudiad tuag at ei gynyddu o i o leiaf £5 yr awr. Mae yna awgrym bod hynny'n debygol iawn o ddigwydd, ond mae'r gyfradd cyllido wedi aros yn ystyfnig ar £4.50 yr awr ers pedair blynedd a mwy, ac mi fyddai hynny, yn ei dro, yn helpu i fuddsoddi ymhellach yn y maes, yn y gweithlu ac o safbwynt adnoddau a gweithgareddau i'r plant hefyd.