For companies that sign up to the programme, Care Direct offers their employees access to a new online database with the ability to search for nurseries, childminders and nannies.
Currently the service also gives them preferred enrolment at Bright Horizons nurseries and discounts on nursery fees at its settings and some other providers.
It is aligned to the existing Back-Up Care Advantage programme, which was set up by Bright Horizons and provides a 24-hour hotline to help employees find emergency childcare with nurseries and checked nannies, as well as adult carers.
Care Direct is designed to enable employees to make more long-term care arrangements, finding a nursery or childminder, for example.
The new online system also ensures that DBS checks are verified and are displayed on the database.
Carole Edmond, managing director of Bright Horizons, said, ‘Our goal is to help people get the most out of both their working lives and their family lives. The Back-Up Care Advantage Programme has for several years offered fast and effective help when care arrangements break down. Now Care Direct lets people choose the best ongoing care services and also benefit from discounts offered in conjunction with their employer. Changes in the patterns of working and family life, mean, we believe, that the need for our services is greater than ever.’
According to research by Bright Horizons, users of Back-Up Care Advantage are typically able to work an average of six days more over a six-month period than they would otherwise.
Companies that use Bright Horizons’ package of family services include JP Morgan and Thomson Reuters.
