Children's minister Beverley Hughes announced earlier this year that 1,339 people had been 'approved' under the voluntary scheme, which replaced the Home Childcarer Scheme in April 2005.
Now Nursery World has obtained new figures from the DfES showing that by the end of September the number of approvals had reached 3,139. Of these, 2,891 are new approvals and 248 are renewals. The DfES also reported that a further 1,117 new and renewing applications are being processed.
Parents who employ 'approved' nannies can claim tax credits or subsidise their costs with childcare vouchers from their own employers. The fee for approval lasts for 12 months and costs 99 to renew each year.
Lynne Keeble, product manager of childcare vouchers at Accor Services, the company that administers the vouchers, said, 'The fact that more parents are insisting that their nannies are approved is pushing up the numbers and giving parents a choice that they didn't previously have.'
A DfES spokesperson said, 'The lessons learned from operating this successful scheme will be invaluable in informing the development of the Ofsted Childcare Register.'
Find details at www.childcareapprovalscheme.co.uk.
