Letter: Cheap childcare

Sir: Deborah Orr asserts in her article "The parent trap" (Review, 16 June) that there "is always some element of risk if you leave your child in the care of others but the risk is much smaller if you, the parents, remain distinctively the primary carers".

On what evidence does she base her assertion? In fact, it all depends under whose care you leave your children.

I would suggest that well-trained and experienced childcarers often offer lower risk than parental care (how often have you seen parents transporting children in cars without seat belts - to give just one illustration?).

So much childcare is inadequate because it is provided by unsuitable people chosen largely on the basis of financial considerations.

The prevailing attitude seems to be that childcare must be "affordable" so that it is economic for parents to work. However, quality childcare cannot be cheap as it is labour-intensive and requires well-educated providers who want (and deserve) a living wage.

HUW JENKINS

Wokingham, Surrey