I have worked in quite a few nurseries. I worked in one for a year, and then after I qualified as a teacher I did supply teaching and took supply jobs as a nursery nurse on days that there were no teaching jobs.
I would not put a child under the age of 3 in any of the nurseries I've worked in.
I'm sure many of the parents thought that these were fantastic places, but the vast majority of staff did not love the children, and did not look after them better than a loving parent could. In one nursery it was twin toddler boys' first day at the nursery. They came in, mum left them and they cried. A member of staff sat with them for a few minutes then left them because they were crying. 'Oh just leave them,' she said, 'they have to learn.' What did they have to learn at 2 years old? That mummy had left them in this scary place and no-one cared that they were upset?! So I sat and played with them, and yes it did take a while for them to stop crying but they did stop.
At another nursery the children aged 2-4 had free access to the toilets and sinks, which was all well and good if they were properly supervised but they weren't, so they ended up soaking themselves from playing in the sinks. I changed a few children who had been ignored by regular staff even though their tops were totally drenched in cold water.
At that same nursery a girl of just turned 2 was teething or just a bit under the weather and all she wanted was for someone to pick her up but she kept being told 'I'm busy, I can't pick you up.' The staff members weren't doing anything that they couldn't have done with her on their hip. I would have carried her but she was shy and wouldn't come to me. But the people she knew just couldn't be bothered with her.
At another nursery the staff in the under twos room just sat around chatting while the babies toddled about.
Somewhere else a toddler bit a younger baby because they weren't being supervised properly and the staff then lied about what happened to cover their backs.
There are many more examples I could give, but I won't go on. My point is that these places are seen as 'quality childcare' but are really not. Most are staffed by girls who don't really want to be there and don't really know how best to treat small children. I think when shagmund was sharing her experiences someone said that her bad experiences must be rare. But they're not. I have been in a lot of nurseries, and not one would I put a child under 3 in. Plus, I personally think that children under that age are not suited to group situations without a parent also present.
I think childminders are different if you get a good one, and obviously grandparents are often good child carers because they automatically love the child.
Plus, for some children, who have parents who honestly don't know how best to bring up a small child, then nurseries are the better option.
My mum was at the top of her profession when she left it to have my brother. She thought about paid childcare so she could carry on working but realised that she didn't believe that anyone could look after her child better than she could.