What a load of rubbish!

UK's largest childcare website slams report claiming that "Kids that go to nursery do better than those looked after by family or childminders"

The findings, reported in The Sun newspaper, have received widespread criticism from its 60,000+ childminder members on their facebook page.

Richard Conway, CEO and founder of Childcare.co.uk said,

"We agree with many aspects of the claims made in the report. Children who mix with other youngsters from an early age in a professional childcare setting certainly appear to benefit positively, often developing more rapidly especially with language and confidence.

"However, to suggest that children in nursery settings do better than those in a childminding setting is simply ridiculous. A childminding setting allows children to learn and play with other similar aged children in a more nurturing environment than many nursery settings that may contain hundreds of other children.

"The valuable and tireless work that tens of thousands of childminders do for very little pay is very often unappreciated and unrewarded. Nonsensical studies, reports and media articles such as this are deeply unfair, upsetting and detrimental to the painstaking work that registered childminders carry out to help the future generations.

"There's no doubt that both nurseries and childminders are hugely beneficial for young children but which is best entirely depends on each particular child.

"It's time that registered childminders and other professional childcarers are appreciated, valued and rewarded properly for everything they do to help our children."