403 ADDITIONAL places for children up to the age of two have been created in Wiltshire which will support 22 childcare settings.

The additional places have been created after Wiltshire Council allocated more than £867,000 of central government funding to support its expansion into its early year offering.

It comes at a time when there is a growing demand for places and will enable more families to access flexible early education and care options that suit their needs.

Manor Farm Nursery School in Netherhampton is one of the schools that have benefited from the funding, as they opened a new baby classroom.

Owner and manager Cherida Daniel, said: “We are very excited to have opened our new baby classroom, funded by the local authority, for the start of September 2025.

“It is a lovely space, which is now occupied by nine under two-year-olds. Our parents are very grateful that we were able to increase our capacity.”

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Baloos Nursery in Trowbridge also received capital funding to support their expansion.

Owner Lucy Coombs, said: “The funding we received has helped us complete the new baby rooms in time for our very busy September opening!

“We have taken nine new zero to two year olds a day, in our first room. With a brand-new space created just for them, it’s really brought our nursery together.

“We are super excited to watch it grow from strength to strength. We look forward to welcoming new families into our Bumpers Family over the years to come!”

Councillor Jon Hubbard, cabinet member for children’s services at Wiltshire Council, said: “This funding is going to make a real difference to families across Wiltshire.

“By supporting our diverse range of childcare providers, we’re helping parents access the flexible, high-quality care they need to balance work and family life.

“We’re proud to have created hundreds of new spaces and to see the positive impact this investment is having in our communities.”

For more information, visit https://parentportal.wiltshire.gov.uk/web/portal/pages/fisresults