Childminders tend to be considered suitable for younger children, especially those aged under one year, according to the report Listening to Black and Minority Ethnic Parents About Childcare.
However, Andy Fletcher, director of communications at the National Childminding Association, said the association's own parental awareness survey showed no correlation between use of childminders and ethnicity of parents.
"The report suggests Black and ethnic minority families appear reluctant to use registered childminders, which is not borne out by our own experience of working in these communities," he said.
He added that just under 10 per cent of the association's members are from Black and ethnic minority communities, which is in line with national population statistics.
The Daycare Trust report found some Black and ethnic minority parents felt their culture should be represented at the childcare setting and they would only feel comfortable if there was a childcare worker of the same ethnicity.
Parents whose first language was not English also said it was vital to have someone at the childcare setting they could communicate with.
The report contains a number of recommendations including improving outreach through children's centres and recruiting more Black and ethnic minority childcare workers.
Researcher Aoife Fitzpatrick said: "For many parents, especially new arrivals to the country, being able to leave their child in a safe environment means they can take advantage of training and development opportunities, such as English language classes."
- www.daycaretrust.org.uk
