What are political parties promising for babies, children and young people in Wales?
Political parties are sharing their ideas before the Senedd Election in May 2026. This guide explains what the main parties say they want to do to help babies, children and young people in Wales.
They say they want to help families and make sure children get a good start in life. They want to support families and improve education.
They promise to:
Make childcare costs cheaper and free from 9 months old
Help grandparents who look after grandchildren
Improve reading, writing and maths in schools
Increase apprenticeships and job training
Improve mental health support for children
Stop families with children being put in hotels
Support young carers with travel and education costs
They say they want to raise school standards and improve skills. They want to improve support for children who need extra help in school and for teachers to have more support.
They promise to:
Focus on core school subjects like English, maths and science
Improve support for children with Additional Learning Needs (ALN)
Increase specialist support in schools
Support children’s mental health and wellbeing in schools
Create more apprenticeships, including in rural areas
Recruit more health visitors to support babies and families
They say they want to make life fairer and reduce child poverty. They want to help with the cost of living by offering cheaper transport and more childcare places.
They promise to:
Expand childcare and cheaper transport for young people
Improve support for children with Additional Learning Needs (ALN)
Reduce waiting times for mental health assessments
Provide free school meals
Support careexperienced children to stay close to home
Stop children being placed in bed and breakfast accommodation
They say they want to put children’s rights first. They say children should be listened to and treated fairly.
They promise to:
Make children’s rights part of the law
Provide affordable childcare and early education
Improve mental health services for children and young people
Reduce child poverty with extra financial support
Improve housing for families
Make it easier to make from children to adult services
They say they want children to be happy, healthy and safe. They say children’s futures are very important.
They promise to:
Expand free childcare Focus on wellbeing as well as learning in schools
Improve mental health support and early help
Reduce child poverty and the cost of school life
Help families live in warm, safe homes
Provide cheaper or free buses for young people
They say they want early help and better opportunities, so problems don’t grow bigger later. They want to support children to move from school into further education, training or work.
They promise to:
Provide more free childcare from 9 months old
Support children who might struggle in school
Guarantee education or training after leaving school
Extend £1 bus fare for young people Protect children’s rights in law
