Employers guide to childcare

New guide helps employers support their staff to access childcare support

The Department for the Economy, in partnership with the Department for Communities, Department of Education, Department of Health, Employers for Childcare and the Labour Relations Agency, has published a new guide that will help employers understand the childcare infrastructure in Northern Ireland.

The Employers Guide to Childcare highlights the financial support available to assist working parents with their registered childcare costs.

How does this guidance help employers?

Employees value employers who can provide support with the challenges associated with balancing work and childcare responsibilities. 

Being aware of the types of assistance available for working parents allows you, as an employer, to provide staff with the right advice at the right time. Supporting employees can benefit your business in the following ways:

• Provide direct savings on employers' national insurance contributions if offering Childcare Vouchers. Tax and national insurance savings if offering a workplace nursery.
• Deliver indirect savings by reducing staff turnover and absenteeism reducing recruitment and training costs and allowing increased working hours and productivity.
• Positively highlights your business as a favourable employer attractive to new staff.

Other benefits include employee well-being, a positive working environment, and healthy management/employee relationships.

Financial assistance with childcare

The guide outlines the financial support schemes currently available to working parents and how they can access them, including:

• Tax-Free Childcare
• Universal Credit
• Child Tax Credit
• Childcare Vouchers
• Child Benefit

Further guidance

The dedicated guidance offers tips on how and when to engage with staff regarding childcare issues. There is also a list of contacts where employers and their staff can get further advice and help.

Download Employers Guide to Childcare - Supporting Employees to Access Childcare Support (PDF, 934K).

First published 6 September 2022