To ask if mum's care about the childcare ratio's

[MumOfTheLittleMonsters]

Or are people fine about any nursery quality as long as the children are reasonably safe there?

And also, to wonder why on earth this hasn't even managed to get 25,000 signatures yet?! www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/department-for-education-drop-plans-to-increase-child-to-adult-ratios

I guess the no response answers it then!!

I'm defo concerned - i am due to return to work when ds is just 8m old and have huge reservations about putting him in nursery as it is, without taking the new ratios into consideration. If they do come into force it will be the deciding factor and he will not be going to nursery so young!
i see no way in which 1 person could take proper care of 4 under 2s whilst giving them the individual attention they need to develop. Not happening to my little one i'm afraid (waiting with baited breath for a flaming about being PFB)

hmmm - bated breath (bloody computer correcting things it shouldn't)

(and serves me right for not proof reading)

I've signed.

This is a terrible idea. It is incredibly hard for nursery staff to look after 3 under 2s effectively, what do you do when they are all crying for a bottle at once? Raising the numbers will be bad for children's welfare, end of.

Yes, parents are concerned, both about ratios and about costs,there's been several discussions on here before.

There's 300 posts on today's webchat on this topic with Lynn Truss, for example.

Yes, I am concerned. But DD's nursery have already posted a statement to say that they will NOT be increasing the ratio's. TBH most people I know who use nurseries are saying the same thing - that the nurseries themselves don't think it is workable and so won't be doing it. Just because ratio's CAN be increased does not mean to say that they WILL.

I do think that common sense will prevail. Also, the money side doesn't really add up and I don't think that it will ever make economic sense so the status quo will continue.

Essex thats the problem though, better off areas/nurseries won't raise the ratio's, but nurseries in less well off area's will know they can get away with it. It's discriminating against babies and toddlers care based on their parents wealth.

MumOfTheLittleMonsters - I completely agree with you - but the cynic in me thinks that's part of the intention TBH.

Yet another shorrt-term policy aimed at saving money that will end up costing a lot more - socially, as well as financially.