CYMell

We know parents struggle to find quality Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) registered Before school, Afterschool and Holiday Childcare provision, available through the medium of Welsh. We also know the benefits of access to Welsh medium settings where children can play and socialise using Welsh – and its importance in supporting children as they move through Welsh medium education.

Our project entitled CYMell,  which translates as ‘motivate,’ hopes to:

• motivate unregistered Welsh medium and bilingual Out of School Childcare settings to become CIW registered, allowing them to support the Welsh language, also to offer more affordable childcare to support families, allowing parents and carers to return to work or training by enabling settings to deliver The Childcare Offer and Tax-Free Childcare.
• train Welsh speaking individuals in Playwork, removing the qualification barrier to the clubs becoming registered with CIW.
• support settings with our dedicated Welsh Language Childcare Business Development Officers.
• provide a grant fund to support settings who show a commitment to registration, allowing them to cover the costs of staff attending training and the hours involved in working towards submitting an application to register.

With the Childcare and Playwork sector best placed to support the increase of Welsh in children outside of the school setting, supporting Welsh Governments’ vision of 1 million Welsh speakers by 2050.

Read more: CYMell

Welsh Promise

As part of our commitment, to the Welsh Governments target of 1 million Welsh speakers by 2050. we are delighted to introduce to you The Welsh Promise.

The Welsh Promise is a way for Childcare and Play settings to increase their use of Welsh and demonstrate their work towards the Active Offer breaking the work down into manageable bite-sized sections. The Active Offer and introducing the Welsh language can seem like a daunting process for settings but the Welsh Promise provides settings with a step-by-step guide to work towards this, without getting to overwhelmed. The Promise includes an achievable action plan that with support from our Welsh Language Development Officers on how to work together effectively it will inspire everyone involved to use the Welsh language for the benefit of the children and the communities where they work.

In committing to the Promise, settings will be able to develop their use of Welsh, and create an environment where the language is a natural part of the setting’s offer to the children.

Whether settings are beginning from nothing, or are already using some Welsh, the bronze, silver, and gold levels allow settings to use Welsh in a way that is appropriate for them. Once they have achieved one level, they can move to the next and do more with the plentiful help available from our Welsh Language Development Officers.

Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids’ Clubs will support settings through each certificate/level of the Welsh Promise, working in manageable sections. The resources also available through our Welsh Language Childcare Business Development Officers provides practical support, and wider assistance through the Camau Learn Welsh courses, provided online through the National Centre for Learning Welsh which will further support The Welsh Promise by increasing the number of Childcare and Playworkers using some Welsh in settings, supporting their progress to deliver the Active Offer.

The Welsh Promise has been endorsed by the Welsh Language Commissioner’s Office which described it as “a way for settings to set clear, ambitious and fun steps to share the Welsh language with their attendees, staff and wider family.”

Kevin Barker Head of Inspection – Childcare and Play Inspection Care Inspectorate Wales also “welcomed this positive development to support the use of the Welsh language in childcare and playwork settings.”

Camau

The Camau courses are Online Self Study courses at Entry level, which have been tailormade for practitioners within the Childcare and Play sector, with a specific course for Playworkers using the language heard in an Out of School Childcare Club. It is suitable for beginners and those with basic Welsh skills for a confidence boost and a refresher. The course consists of the following and is fully funded:

• Learn Welsh to use with children in settings;
• Pronouncing the alphabet, colours, days of the week and numbering;
• Learn commands and introduce prepositions;
• Learn patterns to ask and answer questions;
• Learning the time;
• Talk about yourself;
• Talk about future plans;
• Say what people have been /are doing;
• Learn commands.

The course is informative, easy to follow, and Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids’ Clubs’ Welsh Language Development Officers are on hand for motivation and support. PDF resources are given at the start and end of each unit.

Camau Cymraeg Clybiau

All the practical support you need to increase the use of Welsh in your setting is available on our website through Camau Clybiau Cymraeg. A range of resources are available that includes key vocabulary that is used in a setting day-to-day; an incidental Welsh pack; and more information about the wider assistance available from Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids’ Clubs.

The aim is to embed positive habits and attitudes towards the language through purposeful planning within settings to promote informal use of it amongst staff, children, and the wider community, bringing together everyone to implement.

The Welsh language is a key part of our culture and identity. We promise to do what we can to actively assist in the preservation of the Welsh language and culture for future generations.

Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you need any support or have any further questions.