Childcare failing the diversity test

The report, Facing the Childcare Challenge, said that families from such communities 'often struggled to access information and were apprehensive about leaving their children in settings where their culture and traditions weren't represented'. It quoted a parent from Greenwich in east London who said she would not take her child into a daycare setting 'because it wasn't diverse enough'. She added, 'I'm a black woman. Who is going to teach my children to grow up and be proud of themselves?'

Jane Lane, policy director of the charity Early Years Equality, agreed with the report's conclusions. 'Although there have been huge changes for the better over the past 20 years, nursery staff still need more awareness and support training in taking positive account of the variety of cultures in our society,' she said. 'They need to not only recognise and value the cultures of children within the setting but also extend the children's experience to other cultures, even if children from these cultures are not present in the setting.'