JCCT CEO Fiona Vacher says parents need clearer guidance after some claims were rejected for invalid receipts. The government has paid out £1.4m to 409 families so far.
Alpha Score of 57 reflects moderate overall profile with weak momentum, weak value, strong quality, moderate sentiment.
The head of the Jersey Child Care Trust wants the government to give parents better guidance on how to claim back childcare costs under a new funding scheme.
Fiona Vacher, CEO of the JCCT, said some families had been told their receipts were invalid. The problem, she said, was that parents submitted bills instead of receipts.
"We knew there would be difficulties," Vacher said. "The government is responding to that." She called for "a bit more information for parents about how they and what they submit."
The scheme, launched in February, lets parents of children eligible from January to August 2026 apply for up to £4,180. Those eligible for a full school year from September 2026 can apply for up to £6,270.
Deputy Catherine Curtis, the Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning, said 537 applications had been approved for 409 families. The government has paid out £1.4 million since the scheme began. She said no formal complaints had been recorded but feedback was "being reviewed to enable continuous improvement."
Vacher said the repayments made a difference for some families "between actually being able to access childcare and not." For some, it meant being able to go to work. For others, it gave breathing space, especially those with siblings or additional needs.
Islander Rose Dowden, a mother of two with a third on the way, said childcare was still too expensive. She felt her only option was to have her children close together so she could return to work quickly. Paying upfront and claiming back was "just not a viable option for us at the moment."
The JCCT offers upfront payments for families who need them. Deputy Curtis said 35 families had used that support, totalling £63,000.
Deputy Victoria Li, chair of the Children, Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel, questioned how smoothly the pilot was running. She noted a number of rejections, with invalid receipts a top reason. She said early prevention through quality childcare would work better than later intervention.
Follow BBC Jersey on X and Facebook. Send story ideas to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk.
Drafted by a large language model from the source reporting linked above, then screened by automated publishing checks. It is not read by a journalist before publication. Some articles cite our Alpha Score. Verify prices and figures against the original source. Educational coverage, not personalized advice.