Bureaucracy has always been a major headache for childcare providers, and many nursery managers and childminders put in extra hours trying to keep on top of paperwork.
Nursery vouchers provided by employers have been a significant contributor to the problem, with settings complaining about complex procedures, lack of information to identify which children the payments relate to, poor communication and the sheer numbers of different voucher companies.
Some systems are better than others, of course, and some companies are making great efforts to enhance their service. But the nursery voucher business has grown hugely in recent years, and this is likely to continue as vouchers offer an inexpensive way for cash-strapped companies to reward staff. Yet there has been no regulation and no industry standards to give some consistency and quality expectation for a service offered by more than 35 companies.
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