Over 55,000 childcare providers are now part of the government's tax-free chlldcare account system. This means parents who have signed up for the scheme can use their accounts to pay for childcare at thousands of childcare clubs over the Easter holidays.
Most schools will break for Easter from Thursday 29th, or Friday 30th March and now parents, including self-employed parents, can pay for childcare for children under age 12 using the government accounts. These accounts are topped up by £2 for every £8 deposited.
Contributions made by the government to the account are capped to £2,000 per child (£4,000 disabled child) per year. Parents will need to make sure they are signed up and log into their accounts at least once every three months for them to remain active and for top-ups to continue.
Top-ups are credited instantly to the account and the account is then used to make payments to an expanding list of childcare providers - including nannies, nurseries, after-school clubs, holiday clubs and more.