Editor's view

The stereotypical picture of a day nursery crammed with babies who are placed there five days a week from 8am to 6pm is far from the truth, as the new survey from the National Day Nurseries Association shows (see News, page 4). Parents' working patterns and their use of daycare have been changing, and flexible, part-time take-up from toddler age is much more prevalent. So, nurseries have been responding to their customers' changing needs in the service they offer. However, current conditions are also threatening their livelihood, with large numbers of over-threes off to schools and children's centres, while care for the youngest children is more expensive to provide. Occupancy levels are also a continuing cause for concern, with many nurseries operating below levels needed to remain in profit and, ultimately, in business. Local authorities, now charged in the Childcare Act with supporting private and voluntary providers to be sustainable, will have their work cut out. Also in this week's issue, well-known author and social commentator Beatrix Campbell leaps to the defence of Sure Start (Special Report, pages 10-11), seeking the views of parents and professionals involved with the programmes to uncover the story behind the statistics.