Nursery World - Helping hand

Voucher schemes for the new tax and national insurance exemptions on approved childcare could put much needed money into nurseries, says Simon Vevers Between September and Christmas last year Busy Bees' vouchers division received about 30 calls a day from employers and parents enquiring about the Government's tax and national insurance exemption for those using approved childcare. Worth up to 50 a week, it came into force on 6 April 2005.

Between September and Christmas last year Busy Bees' vouchers division received about 30 calls a day from employers and parents enquiring about the Government's tax and national insurance exemption for those using approved childcare. Worth up to 50 a week, it came into force on 6 April 2005.

John Woodward, director of the Busy Bees chain, which shares around 80 per cent of the voucher market with Accor services, says telephone enquiries have grown eight-fold since then and are now running at 250 a day.

Despite mushrooming interest in the new arrangements, which could save a working parent more than 800 a year, Mr Woodward believes only around 2 per cent of parents have signed up to enjoy these benefits.

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