A Llandeilo business owner is urging parents to sign up to the Welsh Government's childcare scheme before the new term starts.

More than 20,000 children are already supported each year through the Welsh Government’s Childcare Offer.

Lisa Jones, owner of Y Diod café in Llandeilo, said the offer was easy to apply for and has made a significant difference in her life as she urges more parents to take advantage of the offer.

Ms Jones said: "Since we’ve had two children and learned about the 30 hours of funded childcare a week, it’s made a huge difference to our lives.

"Being self-employed, it has made a massive difference ensuring I can return to the café sooner after giving birth."

The childcare offer provides up to 30 hours of funded early education and childcare for parents in work, education, or training with children aged three to four.

It serves as a vital tool for parents across Wales to return to work, increase their hours or work more flexibly.

To be eligible for the offer, parents and guardians must live in Wales.

Each parent must also have a gross income of £100,000 or less per year.

The guardian of the child must be employed and earn the equivalent of at least 16 hours per week at National Minimum Wage or Living Wage or be enrolled on an undergraduate, postgraduate or further education course that is a minimum of 10 weeks in length.

Caryl Thomas, managing director and owner of Twts Tywi Nursery in Llandeilo, said: "The Childcare Offer allows parents to have significant choices as to where their children attend.

"The funding available to us as a business has allowed essential works to be carried out to the facilities, enabling children to freely choose among a number of quality resources to explore within our environments."

Twts Tywi Nursery provides the childcare offer, and Ms Thomas explained how this has allowed them to work collaboratively with schools in the area to provide "a wrap-around service" for parents who need additional childcare.

Foster carers and kinship carers, a relative or friend who is not the child’s parent, may also be eligible for funded early education and childcare.

Applications for the childcare offer for the autumn term are now open.

The offer aims to provide flexible, reliable and quality care for all children who are not eligible for full-time education at the local authority.

Local authority full-time education eligibility varies in each area and can be found by visiting your local authority website.