After this month's Budget the Government hinted that families who employ nannies, or childcare in their home, might become eligible to claim the childcare tax credit. Trade and industry secretary Stephen Byers generously said, 'I am pleased to be able to announce that we will now consider how we can help families who need formal childcare in their own homes.' About time too, many nannies might say, along with parents who work shifts, have a special needs child, can find no day nursery or registered childminder in their area, or simply can't afford separate daycare fees for all their children. But whether the Government's change of heart means that eligible childcare will no longer have to be registered, or that nannies will have to be registered, or that anybody has any plans for setting up a register of nannies and any idea how long it will take, remains clear as mud. Meanwhile in Scotland, nannies and nanny agencies have both been ruled out of laws to regulate and inspect care. Members of the Scottish parliament from all parties voiced objections. 'It is not only children who are potentially at risk; nannies themselves, and especially young au pairs, can be open to exploitation,' said MSP Keith Raffan.
After this month's Budget the Government hinted that families who employ nannies, or childcare in their home, might become eligible to claim the childcare tax credit. Trade and industry secretary Stephen Byers generously said, 'I am pleased to be able to announce that we will now consider how we can help families who need formal childcare in their own homes.' About time too, many nannies might say, along with parents who work shifts, have a special needs child, can find no day nursery or registered childminder in their area, or simply can't afford separate daycare fees for all their children. But whether the Government's change of heart means that eligible childcare will no longer have to be registered, or that nannies will have to be registered, or that anybody has any plans for setting up a register of nannies and any idea how long it will take, remains clear as mud.
Meanwhile in Scotland, nannies and nanny agencies have both been ruled out of laws to regulate and inspect care. Members of the Scottish parliament from all parties voiced objections. 'It is not only children who are potentially at risk; nannies themselves, and especially young au pairs, can be open to exploitation,' said MSP Keith Raffan.
