OVER 1,000 more children from some of Caerphilly county’s most deprived areas are set to benefit from the expansion of the Flying Start programme.

The local authority will receive over £1 million of extra funding, which will see 54 new jobs created and the programme almost doubled in size.

Flying Start is designed to provide preventative services in the early years to children in the authority’s most deprived area.

Its core aims are to provide free quality, part-time childcare for two to three-year-olds, an enhanced health visiting service, access to parenting programmes and early language development.

The Welsh Government wants to double the number of children who benefit across the country and has made £55 million extra funding available to councils.

Currently in Caerphilly county, 1,335 children under the age of three from 10 areas are involved in the programme.

But, the increased funding will see a further 913 children from nine more areas given help. In total, the amount given will rise from £2,857,849 in 2012/13 to £4,073,334 in 2013/14 and £4,782,367 in 2014/15.

Under the expansion, children in Penyrheol, Bedwas, Argoed, Pengam, Crumlin, Risca east, Aber Valley and Cefn Fforest will benefit.

Extra caseloads are also anticipated from new social housing in the Trinant area.

The new staff taken on will be a mixture of safeguarding officers, childcare advisors, family support workers, childcare leaders and assistants.

Caerphilly council’s cabinet will be given a report on the expansion proposals at its meeting next Tuesday that has been written by early years manager Sarah Mutch.

It will be recommended to approve it and the submission of the capital funding bid to the Welsh Government.