Released on: 19 March 2013

On 19 March the Government announced a new scheme for tax-free childcare for working families.

Elizabeth Duff, Senior Policy Adviser for parent charity NCT said:

“We strongly welcome the new scheme for tax-free childcare for working families. Recent research published by the Daycare Trust and Family Parenting Institute showed that average childcare costs have increased by more than 6% over the past year - double the inflation rate of 2.7%. 

“The majority of parents want to return to work after a period of maternity or parental leave but these costs can be a barrier, meaning women, especially, are more likely to drop out of the labour market. 

“These plans will go some way in helping parents with young children to achieve an adequate income to care for their family and maintain a balance between work and family life. We do urge government, however, to ensure that lower-income families with a parent working part-time do not lose out on the benefits of this scheme, as part-time work is a common choice for many parents.”

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