FOR most parents, working is not a choice, but a necessity, and when a bundle of joy comes along, mums often decide they need to go back to work after their maternity leave ends.

Whether this is full or part time depends on what they want or need to do, but one thing is certain, the number of young children in daycare is rising.

At Springlands Nursery, in Shrub End Road, Colchester, nursery workers have seen babies as young as three months being dropped off as mums return to work early.

Some may criticise, saying children are better off when mums stay at home, but most understand it is a sign of the times.

Reasons for leaving a baby in childcare vary. Some mums are going back to work, others have no family nearby to help look after the children. Others recognise the importance of social interaction their child gets with others, or recognise the educational opportunities at nursery.

Catherine House, who established the nursery 24 years ago ,says: “There are more younger babies here, for more hours, these days and we have babies on the waiting list before they are born and coming in at four or five months old. There are more working parents coming to us now than parents who just want to use us for the nursery education. “Children are staying here for longer hours and some regard it as their second home.”

Catherine is supportive of parents’ decisions on how frequently and how long they decide to leave their children in daycare.

She said: “I love my own children to bits, but I could never have been a stay-at-home mum, it would have driven me mad. “Parents feel guilty about leaving their children, but however much they love the child’ they are not necessarily best stimulated by their child.

“Children who use a nursery from a young age tend to be more socially capable.”

In addition, said Catherine, not all parents have an extended family to help them with childcare so nurseries can also act as a surrogate extended family.

Catherine believes children generally settle more easily at nursery the younger they are. She says: “Children don’t really understand parents still exist when they are out of the room, which is why they cry.

“So when they come in after the age of 12 months, it is a double whammy for them, they can’t see their parent and they are in a new environment.

“It is particularly distressing for the mums.”

Catherine adds research has shown parents have more problems leaving their child than the youngster does, when their parents leave them at the door.

“A lot of mums dread going back to work, but once back there, they are pleased they have gone back,” adds Catherine.