Demand for baby places is currently soaring and with fertility rates at their highest for 36 years, this trend looks set to continue. According to the Office of National Statistics, the birth rate in 2008 reached 1.95 children per woman - the highest fertility level since 1973 and the seventh consecutive annual rise. There were a total of 708,708 live births last year compared with 690,013 in 2007.
Nursery owners also cite the uncertainty of the current economic climate as a spur to demand for places. Many women are choosing not to take their full maternity leave and are opting for nursery care to enable them to return to their jobs. At the same time, many parents who might initially have wanted to return to work part time are now going back full time.
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