Nursery World - Parents 'value childcare'

Negative views about childcare come from difficulties parents have in finding a place for their child, rather than dissatisfaction with the service provided, according to research by the Daycare Trust.

The DfES-funded Listening to Families project, a three-yearinvestigation into what families think of their childcare, focused onthose who were less likely to use childcare, including lone parents,black and ethnic minority families, and those with a disabled child.

Outreach work and increased flexibility were highlighted as ways toencourage families to take up childcare.

Alison Garnham, joint chief executive of the Daycare Trust, said, 'Wehave found that most value childcare and the opportunities it providesthem and their children. For many parents, having the right childcarecan have an immense impact on their families' quality of life.

'For lone parents in particular, accessing the right childcare iscrucial to their ability to work or train. Generally, parents who arecurrently using little or no childcare are not doing so out of choiceand, given the opportunity, would take it up.'

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