A BBC undercover investigation into three private day nurseries, which showed staff shouting at children and flouting hygiene regulations, follows widespread coverage of research showing group care could have adverse effects on very young children.
The controversy has raised doubts over the Government's focus on nursery education.
Mary McLeod, chief executive of the National Families and Parenting Institute, said: "It is likely to have damaged confidence in nursery provision. The difficulty for most parents is that there is such a limited choice in organising childcare they are likely to be satisfied with."
Rosemary Murphy, chief executive of the National Day Nurseries Association, said the documentary highlighted the problems of some settings struggling to provide a quality service with limited resources.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
