Senedd member for the Vale of Clwyd and Shadow Minister for Mental Health and Early Years, Gareth Davies MS, visited Bees Knees nursery in Rhyl as part of a visiting tour of businesses in his constituency. His visit was also in a shadow ministerial capacity to workers at the coalface of the early years sector and understand how the industry can be better supported.
Gareth was given a tour of the nursery observing the engaging and interactive games staff provide for the children and was shown their impressive garden and play area which includes a vegetable patch and a pet rabbit which the children enjoy looking after, with both also serving an important developmental purpose.
The nursery staff also discussed some of the challenges with a rise in children presenting with additional learning needs, difficulties with socialisation following Covid, and a lack of financial support for parents who aren’t in the Flying Start Scheme catchment, and difficulties with recruitment.
Following his visit to the nursery, Member of the Senedd for Vale of Clwyd, Gareth Davies MS, said:
“It was a pleasure to visit Bees Knees nursery in Rhyl and speak to both staff and children, and I was struck by the great ethos the nursery imbues with some fantastic tools to engage the children and teach them early developmental skills.
“The visit gave much food for thought about how the early years sector is doing locally and across Wales, and how working parents can be better supported given the cost of placing a child into a Welsh nursery is among the most expensive in the world.
“The fact remains that the Welsh Government needs to do a lot more to engage with the sector and support both working parents outside of the Flying Start catchment and with nurseries themselves.