Benefits need funding

(Letters, 5 October).

Perhaps he should ask the population of America, where holiday entitlement is typically just ten working days a year, but can be as low as seven days a year. That's not just nurseries, but almost every sector of employment.

Yes, they have 11 bank holidays instead of our eight, but that is hardly compensation compared with our legislated minimum of four weeks. Yet they are the richest nation on the planet with one of the highest standards of living. I guess that answers the 'What kind of morale or performance would you expect' question.

However, I believe Ross misses the point. If parents and the Government were prepared to pay a sensible level of money to fund childcare, to provide a quality setting with good facilities and well trained and well paid staff, then the money would be there to allow all nursery staff to enjoy the level of holidays that most of us expect in this country. But while most parents want to pay the minimum and the Government expects the PVI sector to prop up its under-funded schemes, inevitably some providers will be forced to give the minimum staff benefits possible, in order to stay viable.