Daycare Trust, the national childcare campaign, has commented on tonight's Whistleblower programme on BBC1, following extensive publicity in today's (5th March 2008) press.

Policy and Research Manager Maxine Hill said: "According to a report on the BBC website, the programme highlights instances of appalling quality standards in a number of childcare settings."

"We believe it is vital that Ofsted's National Standards are rigorously enforced in every case. These standards offer vital protection to children and reassurance to parents, and even one breach is too many."

"The fact that the BBC's unqualified and inexperienced reporter could, it seems, find work in several childcare settings without being CRB checked or having references taken up is particularly shocking. Daycare Trust believes that every single person employed to take care of children should be a qualified professional, and the failures exposed in the programme underline the importance of this."

"Currently the national standards stipulate that 50 per cent of childcare workers should be qualified. Daycare Trust is calling for this to be immediately increased to a target of 100 per cent qualified staff, because parents and children deserve nothing less."

"The programme will, understandably, worry many parents using childcare, but there are many childcare settings offering high-quality care and education, and many where, almost certainly, the BBC reporter would not have been able to gain employment. Daycare Trust's website, www.daycaretrust.org.uk, has a useful guide to choosing childcare, which should give parents helpful advice on what to look out for in a high-quality childcare setting."

Things to look out for include:
• Trained and experienced staff, ready to learn and respond to your child's individual needs.
• Busy, but relaxed, children who seem happy and purposeful.
• Safe and clean premises - welcoming and friendly with outside play space.

Questions parents should always ask:
• What is the ratio of staff to children? How many children do you care for?
• What qualifications and/or experience do you have?

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