The high cost of childcare leaves many families struggling, however there is financial help available to bring down the cost of childcare.

Currently ONLY 13% of families are utilising support available. Parents can access either the Childcare Voucher Scheme or the childcare element of Working Tax Credit.  Both forms of help can lead to thousands of pounds in savings. The low level of uptake is due to the lack of awareness amongst parents and indeed our employers on the financial benefits.

Both forms of help come directly from the Treasury and are not taken from the Northern Ireland (NI) block grant. Therefore, an increased uptake amongst parents would be good news for NI Plc. Bringing down the cost of childcare means that more parents will stay in the workplace and will have more disposable income. This is good news for employers and our local economy.

We are calling all parents, employers and MLAs to back our petition to increase awareness on financial support available to help drive down the costs of childcare, thousands of families in Northern Ireland are losing out financially.

Follow our progress by liking us on  facebook  or visit our website www.employersforchildcare.org