Childcare vouchers criticised

The consultation identified processes such as employee awareness, voucher authorisation and clearly referenced payments as the main barriers holding up the take-up of the benefits among staff.

“As the childcare voucher market continues to grow, it is vital that the administration processes are as clear as possible,” said Amanda Ward, director of Early Years Vouchers Ltd, one of the attendees.

“In extreme cases some nurseries, for example, have threatened to stop accepting childcare vouchers from some providers, which could pose a problem for employees.

“Parents not only need an easily accessible source of information, but also assistance with making sense and use of that information,” she added.