Nominate your childcare heroes for awards

They can now nominate a childcare or play setting for Swansea's Early Year's Celebration 2023, an exciting new awards ceremony for the region.

Swansea Council has teamed up with JR Events & Catering for the prestigious evening of glitz and glamour that will take place at the Brangwyn Hall on Thursday March 2.

The event is being funded by an external grant aimed at recognising, supporting and promoting early years services.

Nominations are now open for settings both within the public and private sector.

This could be a day nursery, playgroup or parent and toddler group and the awards are designed to showcase these and the wonderful teams who work there.

Visit https://www.swansea.gov.uk/earlyyearsandplaycelebration to make your nomination with voting open until January 6.

Swansea Council's Cabinet Member for Community Support, Hayley Gwilliam, said: "In Swansea there are 160 registered childcare settings who do wonderful work in supporting our children to have the best start in life. There are many other great settings and individuals in unregistered settings and play schemes.

"We feel it is important that locally we recognise the great work carried out by our Early Years Childcare and Play Opportunities workforce.

"These new awards will shine a light on the Early Years and Play settings across Swansea and hopefully help ensure that the workforce feels valued and demonstrate to them they are appreciated for what they do.

"The event at the Brangwyn Hall promises to be a night to remember where we pay tribute the individuals who excel in their fields.

"I would urge people to get nominating now and I'm looking forward to hearing the stories people have to share about the settings and individuals who make such a difference to their families."

Settings that are eligible are Play Opportunities such as out-of-school care including after school clubs and holidays clubs, open and closed access play schemes, parent and toddler groups and Ti a Fi.

Early Years Childcare including full day care and sessional day care such as cylch, play groups, wraparound and Flying Start plus childminders and nannies are also eligible.

Full details are available on the nomination site.

Jessica Rice, Director of JR Events and Catering, said: "We're looking for childcare and play settings who don't just carry out the day-to-day tasks they're expected to do, but who go above and beyond in their role in delivering childcare and play opportunities and who make a positive difference to supporting children to have the best start in life."

Swansea's Family Information Service (FIS) is a free impartial, information and advice service about childcare provision, costs, training, and careers as well as children and young people's activities for parents/carers of children and young people aged between 0-20 and the professionals who work with them.

For further details go to https://www.swansea.gov.uk/article/3435/Family-Information-Service-FIS