@Whenwillitgetwarm Unfortunately that article is incredibly dogmatic in the opposite direction. I’m shocked the Guardian published that article — it does exactly what it criticises Ballerina Farm for doing but in the opposite direction!
This topic is incredibly nuanced. There is no correct answer to “is a child better off at home or at childcare?”
On the whole children, especially young children benefit from consistent 1:1 attention and nurturing from responsive caregivers, and not necessarily parents. The ideal is probably a consistent caregiver or small group of caregivers who are able to deal with the demands of looking after a small child day in and day out with their own MH and self regulation relatively intact.
Is this best achieved in a standard nursery? Probably not in most nurseries as we know them — they are stretched and underfunded. Staff are often minimally qualified, poorly paid, and turn over is high in many of them. The ratios and workload don’t necessarily allow caregivers to be as responsive as they could be in a group child care setting.
Is it best achieved by a SAHM? Not if she’s poorly supported, under massive stress and financial strain, and struggling with her mental health.
Different things are better for different children and families depending on the situation, and often parents are struggling to choose between multiple options none of which is ideal. The conversation needs to focus less on which is “best” and more on how we can support families to provide a healthy environment for their young children regardless of whether they are home with family or attending childcare.