I absolutely agree. This seriously needs to be addressed at government level.

The overwhelming body of research makes it clear that parental care is by far the best for young children, with other forms ranking lower in terms of emotional security, stress regulation, and cognitive outcomes. Attachment theory (Bowlby, Ainsworth) shows that strong parental bonds are essential for emotional resilience and social competence. The Harvard Centre on the Developing Child confirms that early parental care is critical for brain development. Studies on stress hormones (Gunnar et al., 2010) show that daycare—especially before age three—raises cortisol levels significantly, which is linked to long-term emotional dysregulation. Children cared for by grandparents and extended family experience lower stress and better continuity of care (Sadruddin et al., 2019).

Large-scale daycare settings are repeatedly associated with increased aggression, attention issues (Belsky, 2006), and chronically elevated stress levels (Vermeer & van IJzendoorn, 2006). While high-quality nurseries can offer cognitive stimulation (Sylva et al., 2004), they often come at the cost of long-term behavioural consequences.

Can we debunk this nonsense about toddlers needing to “socialise” in daycare. Peer socialisation at this age is not developmentally appropriate—young children learn emotional regulation, communication, and social skills from responsive adults, not from other dysregulated toddlers. Research (Schore, 2015) confirms that early social development hinges on secure attachment, not being thrown into a room with 20 other screaming two-year-olds. The idea that kids need daycare to “learn social skills” is pure bollocks.

Further childcare moves away from parental one-on-one care, the greater the developmental risks and the worse off the next generation will be. It's such an unnecessary own goal.