Extra funding given to early years childcare to get 1 million Welsh speakers by 2050

Extra funding has been given by the Welsh Government to an organisation specialising in Welsh-medium early years childcare.

Mudiad Meithrin has been awarded an extra million pounds a year over the next two years as part of a wider target to reach one million Welsh speakers by 2050.

The organisation will receive £3.031m per year for the next two financial years as part of the budget deal between Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Government. The funding follows Mudiad Meithrin’s paper ‘Meithrin Miliwn’ in summer 2017, outlining the steps needed to enable the Mudiad to respond positively to the ambition of a million Welsh speakers by 2050.

Mudiad Meithrin Chief Executive said the investment by Welsh Government will enable Mudiad Meithrin to open more Welsh-medium childcare provision.

The funding was announced by the Minister for Welsh Language and Lifelong Learning, Eluned Morgan.

Reaching one million Welsh speakers by 2050 is a very ambitious target. Education and in particular early years education is key to this and this is why we have set targets to expand Welsh-medium provision by 40 Welsh-medium nursery groups by 2021 and by 150 Welsh medium nursery groups over the next decade.

– ELUNED MORGAN, MINISTER FOR WELSH LANGUAGE AND LIFELONG LEARNING

Plans for one million Welsh speakers by 2050 was announced by the Welsh Government in the summer.