"Childcare 'no substitute for mum'" ran the headline after Dr Penelope Leach concluded that babies and toddlers under the age of two do better developmentally if raised by their mothers.
But with nearly half a million British children under three already in nursery care, what are the pros and cons of group care for very young children? Is the government placing enough emphasis on quality in its plans for expanding childcare provision?
Guests: Jay Belsky, Director of the Institute for the Study of Children, Families and Social Issues, Elena Dalrymple, Editor of Mother and Baby Magazine and Purmina, Chief Executive of the National Day Nurseries Association.
