Free childcare in 2014, which catered for 3,857 children, cost the government a total of €5.2 million.

There are currently 78 state childcare centres, all registered with the Department for the Safeguarding of Social Standards.

Answering a question by George Pullicino (PN), Education Minister Evarist Bartolo said he could not give the number of families benefiting from the service, but the department was in the process of implementing a digital Childcare Information System which would make such information available.

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