Premier Education says a large number of families are missing out on vital help with childcare costs for school-age children.

We believe thousands of families could be out of pocket because they don’t realise that government childcare funding schemes are available for children up to age 11.

Despite ensuring that 100 per cent of our wraparound childcare services and a growing number of our holiday camps can be paid for using childcare funding, we found that only 21% of payments for the 2022/2023 academic year utilised funding.

It’s important for parents to realise that Childcare Vouchers and the scheme that has since replaced it, Tax Free Childcare, can be used to help with childcare for school-age children, such as holiday clubs and wraparound childcare.

“The need for childcare doesn’t stop once children go to school”, comments Premier Education chief executive David Batch. “Not only can school holidays pose a challenge for working parents, but the before and after school periods can also mean additional help is needed.”

“Facilities such as holiday clubs and wraparound childcare can be a lifesaver for parents who need childcare during these periods, but as a provider of these services, we are still seeing only a small percentage of payments being made using funding.”

We have recently made changes to our online booking portal to make it even easier for parents to book using funding. “We want parents to have a quick and easy booking experience”, adds David. “Our updates mean parents no longer have to send through separate information on funding, it’s all in one place.”

More awareness is needed for parents of children at school, and we hope to see an increase in payments that use funding for this academic year.

More information and support around childcare funding can be found here.