Nursery World - Positive Relationships: Let's talk about ... Flexible provision

Giving parents the hours of childcare they want doesn't always mesh with what an early years setting is able to offer. Melanie Defries hears how nursery practitioners handle it.

Q: How flexible is your setting?

'My setting is very new - we have only been open for six weeks, and we feel that we have to be flexible to attract parents. There are probably ten other nurseries within five miles of our setting, so there is a lot of competition.'

'At the beginning of the year we decided to start offering shorter days to parents, instead of just the standard morning or afternoon sessions or the full-time hours that we were offering before. The shorter day option has proved popular with parents, but I have to say that it is not as profitable for us.'

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