The Government's Childcare Approval Scheme has beat its defunct Home Childcarer Scheme hands-down in popularity. Children's minister Beverley Hughes reported that 1,339 people had been 'approved' by last month since the scheme started in April 2005, while in the 12 months before that, only 300 gained 'home childcarer' status - effectively to work as a registered childminder in someone else's home - though the Government kept no figures of how many actually worked as such before that scheme was replaced by the approval programme. Nanny agencies say they're getting more demand from parents who want to hire a nanny who's already approved so they can qualify for tax credits from day one of the nanny's employment.
The Government's Childcare Approval Scheme has beat its defunct Home Childcarer Scheme hands-down in popularity. Children's minister Beverley Hughes reported that 1,339 people had been 'approved' by last month since the scheme started in April 2005, while in the 12 months before that, only 300 gained 'home childcarer' status - effectively to work as a registered childminder in someone else's home - though the Government kept no figures of how many actually worked as such before that scheme was replaced by the approval programme. Nanny agencies say they're getting more demand from parents who want to hire a nanny who's already approved so they can qualify for tax credits from day one of the nanny's employment.
