The YouGov survey of 1,342 parents reveals that 20 per cent of respondents never researched their child's setting, while over half had spent six hours or less looking into which nursery to send their child.
Of those that had carried out research into nurseries, 45 per cent cited visiting a setting as the biggest influence on their decision. Mothers were more likely to visit a nursery than fathers. The second most influential source of information was recommendations from other parents.
According to the survey,conducted on behalf of MyEd.com - an online listing service of nurseries, schools and universities in England - other factors parents found influential when looking for a nursery included the reputation of a setting (25 per cent) and its Ofsted report (25 per cent). Just 12 per cent relied on a nursery’s website, and five per cent used online parenting forums, such as Mumsnet, to make a decision.
Professor Upkar Pardesi, co-founder and chairman of MyEd.com, said, ‘Unsurprisingly, word-of-mouth recommendations are still highly influential when it comes to parents choosing a nursery for their children, as they offer a candid insight into what a setting has to offer. Picking the right nursery is crucial for a child’s early development, and parents need to have access to a range of information, of which recommendations from other parents remain an integral part.
‘With the limited time parents are spending on researching nurseries, it is more important than ever that there are the right resources available so they can make the most informed decisions for their children.’
The Government is currently working with online developers to design a new website or childcare app to help parents find and arrange childcare provision.