Nursery World - Confusion over new 'home childcarers'

Nannies face having to register as childminders in order to work as 'home childcarers' or see their jobs go to other registered childminders under a scheme being proposed by the Government. The proposals follow last week's Budget announcement by chancellor of the exchequer Gordon Brown that the new child tax credit scheme to be introduced from next April will be extended to cover care in a family's own home. But parents who employ nannies will be ineligible for the tax credit as the Government intends to create a new category of 'home childcarer', who would be either a registered childminder or a domiciliary worker.

The proposals follow last week's Budget announcement by chancellor of the exchequer Gordon Brown that the new child tax credit scheme to be introduced from next April will be extended to cover care in a family's own home. But parents who employ nannies will be ineligible for the tax credit as the Government intends to create a new category of 'home childcarer', who would be either a registered childminder or a domiciliary worker.

The Department for Education and Skills said that from 1 April 2003, parents on low incomes would be able to claim tax credits for paying for childcare in their own home if they used a new 'home childcarer'. From 1 April 2004, they would be able to use the tax credit to claim for a domiciliary care worker or nurse employed through a registered care agency or claim childcare tax credit using a greater range of childcare providers catering for children over seven and up to age 14, or 16 for children with a disability.

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