Refugees: Cardiff nursery offers families free childcare

A nursery is offering free childcare places to the children of refugees and asylum seekers.

Misty Ardouin, owner of Nestlings Nursery in Cardiff, said she was making the offer after seeing families arrive in the UK, often with nothing.

It comes as a charity calls for refugees and asylum seekers to be offered free childcare in Wales.

The Welsh government said it was "committed" to funding childcare for more families.

Oasis Cardiff said the lack of access to childcare was a barrier to parents learning a new language and gaining new skills.

Currently, up to 30 hours a week of free childcare or early education is available to the children of working parents in Wales once they reach three or four.

Asylum seekers are entitled to £39.63 a week to live on, which means they can't afford a nursery or creche.

Buki, an asylum seeker from Nigeria in her 20s who hopes to stay in the UK and become a nurse, is mum to 10-month-old Harry who has a place at the nursery.

She said having time to study at college and meet people in her community would help both her and Harry start to build a new life here, improving her skills and gaining qualifications.

"I've started a five-week college course in administration. I want to volunteer at Oasis as an admin officer," she said.

"I love safeguarding people, taking care of people and children. Just being caring."

And while she studies, Harry enjoys his time at the nursery.

"He's meeting new children, mingling with them and that makes him happy. He's talking and doing lots of different things when he's here."

The children at the nursery, aged between three months and eight years old, go on visits to the city's parks, and even to Cardiff's indoor market to choose their food for cookery sessions and lunch.

Nestlings Nursery owner Ms Ardouin said: "Being able to help the local community is really important to me and so partnering with Oasis Cardiff seemed like an ideal choice for the nursery.

"This way, we can welcome a new refugee or asylum seeking family into our nest and provide the needed childcare free of charge, in the hope that it gives parents the time and opportunity needed to establish a new home and life here with us in the Welsh capital."

Ruth Jeanes, from Oasis, said: "We would love the Welsh government to provide extra funding so that colleges across Wales could provide free childcare for any refugees and asylum seekers studying courses.

"Currently [the Welsh government support programme] Flying Start does provide childcare for age two, but that's only a very small number of families and if that could be extended to include any refugees and asylum seekers that would make a huge difference to people's lives."

Ms Jeanes added that the whole family benefits from access to childcare, giving the children of refugees and asylum seekers the chance to build their language skills and confidence, so by the time they start school, they are ready to learn.

In a statement, the Welsh government said Wales was a "nation of sanctuary", referring to the title of its plan to help refugees and asylum seekers.

"We have committed to fund childcare for more families, and we are looking at what can be done to support sanctuary seekers as part of this work," a spokesperson said.

"Both the Childcare Offer and Flying Start are already available to eligible families and our community employability programmes can fund childcare support to eligible individuals. Eligibility for these include those classed as having no recourse to public funds."