My son has just started at his school's after school club, three evenings a week, so about £110 per half term. The school advises that payment can be made using childcare vouchers. The school is not registered with the provider that my employer uses, so I emailed the school with a link to the sign-up section of the voucher provider's website, and asked if they could complete the registration to allow me to make payment.
Today I received an email from the bursar, stating that the school is 'not able to sign up with another childcare voucher provider as we already offer a choice of six schemes for our parents'.
I know that the numbers using childcare vouchers is reducing all the time, with the scheme's closure to new entrants some time ago, and that the admin time and cost for the school may well be unappealing. But I think the idea that I have a 'choice of six schemes' is wrong - I have the scheme that my employer has contracted. The upshot is that as the school won't complete a registration form, my childcare is costing me considerably more than it needs to, and than government policies are designed to make it.
IABU: the school haven't got the time to be registering with another provider.
IANBU: the school should compete the registration and help parents use their childcare vouchers.