‘Major anxiety’: parents describe nightmare of England’s childcare crisis

Dean Martin describes the staff at his son’s maintained nursery in Croydon as ‘child whisperers’. Photograph: Guardian Community

Dean Martin’s three-year-old son only started at nursery in September, but has settled in almost immediately. That is not surprising when you hear the phrase his father uses to describes the staff at the maintained nursery in Croydon: “Child whisperers.”

“They’re brilliant, highly qualified and absolutely fantastic with kids,” says Martin, who is 47 and an ecologist. “They’re not in it for the money – they love to help young children flourish.”