When my eldest son turned one, he started going to nursery three days a week.
He stayed at that same nursery until he was nearly four. During that time, we spent tens of thousands of pounds on nursery fees.
Our childcare bill had gradually crept up to just under £100 a day, yet the quality of care was suffering due to high staff turnover. Key workers started to hand in their notice every month or so, morale had dipped, and we were often warned of children being turned away if teams got too small.
When I asked one of my favourite key workers at the nursery why she was leaving, she was concerned about the ratio numbers – the legal number of staff members required to care for babies and children in nurseries. It was making her feel uncomfortable.
‘I love children too much to stay working in this environment,’ she said to me, sadly. She has now been hired as a private nanny.