Childcare Choices Tax Free Childcare Campaign Evaluation

This document summarizes the evaluation of the Tax-Free Childcare campaign, a government initiative aimed at supporting parents with childcare costs by offering a government contribution of £2 for every £8 paid into an online account. The Behaviour, Insight, and Research Team conducted the evaluation using pre- and post-campaign research, including face-to-face interviews with parents of children aged 0-11 who were eligible for the program. The evaluation employed a multi-channel advertising strategy and measured awareness, recognition, engagement, and actions taken as a result of the campaign. Key findings indicated an increase in campaign recall, particularly through radio and social media ads, and a significant number of parents taking action, such as visiting the Childcare Choices website. However, some parents felt the ads were not relevant or were uncertain about eligibility and next steps. The campaign was particularly effective in the South of England and among white British/Irish parents, with the Gov.uk website being the preferred source of information. The evaluation concluded that the campaign successfully communicated its key messages and prompted action among parents, despite initial technical issues and delays. **This summary was written by an AI model and therefore should not be considered a definitive summary of the report. If you are aware of inaccuracies, please email evaluation.registry@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.**

Description

• Lead department: HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)
• Evaluation stage: A complete evaluation report
• Other departments: No other departments listed
• Evaluation types: Impact evaluation
• Impact methods: Generic research method
• Grant information: This intervention is not distributing funding via a grant
• Government Major Project information: This intervention is not a major project
• Policies: No policies provided

Event Dates

• Event Name: Publication of final results
• Event date: September 2019

Evaluation Costs

• Cost: Not provided

Evaluation sharing

• Link(s) to published report(s): Yes
• Links to evaluation plans: No link provided
• Findings: Not provided
• Permission to share confirmed: Yes