The Department for Education and Skills-funded research by the DaycareTrust also found childcare is often not available at weekends and in theevenings.
The Findings from Listening to Families research, published last week,is part of a three-year project looking at families' experiences ofchildcare, their views and demand for services in England.
Key messages from parents, obtained through focus groups andquestionnaires, included a desire for an easily accessed official sourceof childcare information, and a perception that childcare is tooexpensive, especially in school holidays.
Parents of children aged 12 to 14 also said there was a gap in provisionfor this age group.
"Above all, parents want access to affordable, high-quality care that isavailable when and where they need it, and free childcare places forthree- and four-year-olds is seen as a positive first step," the reportconcludes.
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