CRITICAL workers in Wales will get free childcare during the coronavirus pandemic through the government’s assistance scheme, it was revealed today.

Under the new plans, councils will be able to use funding from the Welsh government’s childcare offer to support registered childcare providers to care for the pre-school-aged children of critical workers.

The existing offer provides 30 hours of early education and childcare to the working parents of three and four-year-olds for 48 weeks of the year.

This will be suspended for three months and replaced with the coronavirus childcare assistance scheme providing care for children under five, including those considered vulnerable.

Deputy Health & Social Care Minister Julie Morgan said it was “of paramount importance” that parents on the front line do not face barriers in the fight against coronavirus.

She said: “We’re at a point where most families are caring for their children at home, so now it makes sense to look at what more we can do with our childcare funding, especially in support of those working on our front line.”