The majority of parents do not support the move to allow early years settings to increase staff: child ratios to 1:5, which is effective from this month.
In a Pregnant Then Screwed survey, which received 5,141 responses from parents with a child under the age of five, 98 per cent said they do not support increasing ratios in nurseries.
A total of 39 per cent of respondents said they believe that increasing ratios will be dangerous.
The survey, which ran between August to the beginning of this month, also reveals:
- That for 15 per cent of parents, the top reason that they oppose a change in ratios is because they believe it will put too much pressure on the workforce.
- For 38 per cent of parents, the negative impact on the quality of care is their main concern if settings increase ratios.
