Childcare vouchers

[CarlyB]

Hi all, I am new to childminding and have a parent ask me if I accept childcare vouchers as hubby is in the RAF. How does this work with me getting paid and how do I set it up? Any help would be appreciated x x

[FloraDora]

Your parents workplace will have a childcare voucher company they work with -there are lots of them. Parents payroll will automatically pay an amount into the voucher company account before they work out tax, so great for parents.
It is my experience that the voucher company will contact you ...you fill in a form and either send or scan your registration certificate and you are all set to go.
Parents authorise transfer of money through the childcare voucher account, some set it up to be paid automatically on a set day or they do it monthly when you invoice them. The only little niggle is that it takes about 3 days to reach your bank account...more if there is a bank holiday sometimes so the parents have to be on the ball to authorise it in time for your payment date.
For instance - one of my parents doesn't get paid until the last day of the month so her money is only transferred on the last day of the month...my payment date is the 28th so it is impossible for her to pay by vouchers on that date until she builds up an amount in advance in the voucher account....so I allow a later payment from her.
I think we all have to accept voucher payments or parents will likely look elsewhere as they save quite a bit in tax.

[CarlyB]

Brilliant thanks for your reply. I'm happy to do vouchers if it's not going to cause too much hassle x

[k1rstie]

One of my families gives me actual paper vouchers. I just phone up to activate. The staff are really friendly, and it takes less than a minute too. It never takes anytime at all waiting for them to answer the phone.
I then get an email to say it's been done, and the money arrives in my account on the usual way after a few days.

Although paper vouchers, no hassle. ( their voucher us always the same amount each month)

I also have another parent who works with the first, they use the same company, and theirs is all done electronically like everyone else has been describing.

[CarlyB]

Thank you :-) I shall tell the family I am happy to take vouchers x x