The Coronavirus-Childcare Assistance Scheme helped maintain capacity in vital public services during the first peak of the pandemic, by providing childcare to enable parents employed in critical infrastructure to work. It also supported vulnerable children and their families where intelligence indicated they could be at risk. Robust evidence and economic modelling underpinned the business case to repurpose funding for this scheme, while primary and secondary research informed collaborative implementation with the wide range of stakeholders. A dashboard on service availability, takeup, and virus outbreaks, provided management information and has given a data sharing legacy. Independent evaluation verifies that the scheme is exemplary.