Providing childcare might make the difference between keeping talented employees and losing them to your competitors. For many parents it is incredibly difficult to balance work and childcare responsibilities, particularly during a child’s early years.

The business benefits are obvious: enabling employees to arrange childcare on the spot; easing employees’ worries about the quality of childcare; appeal as a family-friendly employer and your ability to retain employees; and enabling your employees to work more flexibly and so getting more from them. Ultimately, providing childcare helps stimulate the local economy by helping parents get out to work and earn.

The cost of providing childcare should be balanced against the risk of losing employees through lack of provision. There is help available to enable small and medium-sized enterprises to provide childcare services, and there are various different ways you can set something up.

The Children’s Workforce Development Council is the Sector Skills Council in England for early years and childcare and can put you in touch with advice and help with developing high-quality childcare. You can telephone them on 0113 244 6311, or visit their website.

You can find general information on support for childcare through the Government’s Every Child Matters: Change for Children programme website.

As an employer, you could look at offering childcare allowance or vouchers, or see if there are ways to set up a joint childcare service with other employers.

Sources of practical advice and support
The Children’s Workforce Development Council is the Sector Skills Council in England for early years and childcare. They can put you in touch with people who can help you develop high-quality childcare. You can telephone them on 0113 244 6311, or visit http://www.cwdcouncil.org.uk

Your local Jobcentre Plus can help you examine possible childcare solutions for your employees. You should get in touch through the appropriate regional centre, which you can find at: www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk

HM Revenue & Customs can advise employers on tax and National Insurance issues surrounding employer-supported childcare.

The Child Support Agency provides advice to employers on child maintenance.

Business Link provides an online interactive tool to help you work out flexible working hours and leave entitlements for new mothers.

You can find general information on support for childcare through the Government’s Every Child Matters: Change for Children programme: www.everychildmatters.gov.uk.