Powys Council is to close the emergency childcare hubs set up to cope with the coronavirus outbreak on Wednesday, June 24 as it prepares to reopen schools in the county the following Monday.

The hubs were set up to help provide childcare for key workers' children and vulnerable children during the coronavirus pandemic, but it is now making plans to return more children to school.

As part of the preparations to send a limited number of children back to school each day, the hubs will close on June 24.

The final two days of that week will see individual schools open to their own pupils who are key workers' children or vulnerable learners, between 8:30am and 4:30pm.

From Monday, June 29, schools in the county will make childcare provision for the children of key workers who have used the emergency childcare hubs between the opening of the hubs in March and the end of May. This provision will be on school days only from 8:30am to 4:30pm.

Additionally, the children of schools' staff will be able to join the childcare facility to allow their parents to work in schools. Vulnerable learners will also be able to access schools for the usual school day, and they will be informed by their schools.

Cllr Phyl Davies, Cabinet Member for Education, said: "The school-based emergency childcare hubs have been invaluable since they were introduced at the start of the coronavirus pandemic and we are grateful to everyone who has worked in them for the extended days over the last 12 weeks – including weekends and bank holidays.

"As ever, our main priorities are the physical safety and wellbeing of our children, young people and staff across Powys.

"We are now preparing for the re-opening of schools in Powys and this means closing the school-based emergency childcare hubs. Closing the hubs on Wednesday June 24 will allow school staff to prepare their school ahead of their re-opening as schools on Monday, June 29."

For primary-aged children of key workers and the children of schools' staff, parents will still need register online at Emergency Childcare Hubs until the end of the summer term.

Other learners will access as many days as schools are able to facilitate but no more than 30 percent of pupils will be present at school at any one time.

For the summer holidays, the council is looking at options to provide childcare for school-aged children of key workers. This provision will not be managed by school staff.

Thirteen schools across the county opened as childcare hubs in March to look after the children of key workers and vulnerable children.

By Monday, March 30, two special schools, Ysgol Cedewain in Newtown and Ysgol Penmaes in Brecon, would become Emergency Childcare Specialist Hubs.