We contacted Jane and her childminding business in March/April 2025, before our child was even born, after being recommended to her, to enquire about a future childcare place. We planned well in advance, followed her process, and later in 2025 paid both a registration fee and a deposit after being reassured that our child’s place was secured.

Our 9-month-old completed his settling-in week in January 2026, which went well, and officially started the following week. However, on his very first full day of care, I received an email advising that Jane’s childminding business could no longer continue caring for him due to an accident involving another childminder. We were told care could only continue until the end of that week, giving us just three days’ notice to find alternative childcare.

The impact of this cannot be overstated. As first-time parents, we were suddenly forced into an urgent childcare crisis with virtually no time to respond. At that point, almost all local childminders were already fully booked months in advance. Although another childminder was suggested, there was in reality no available space, leaving us scrambling while both parents were working full time.

Despite our child having completed settling-in and officially started, there were no contingency arrangements in place to support continuity of care. What made this situation even more difficult was the lack of empathy shown during our final days. There was little acknowledgment of the stress, disruption, and pressure placed on our family, which compounded what was already an overwhelming and distressing experience.

While unforeseen situations can occur, giving a family just three days’ notice after taking fees, completing a settling-in period, and allowing a child to officially start demonstrates a failure to have appropriate contingency planning in place and raises serious concerns about how this childminding business manages risk and continuity of care.

To add to this, although the deposit was returned, the registration fee was not refunded, despite our 9-month-old only attending for three full days.

Based on our experience, I would not recommend Jane’s childminding business. What happened to us could very easily happen to another family. I strongly urge parents to think very carefully before committing and to actively seek out alternative childminders who have clear, robust contingency plans in place. No parent should open an email one morning and discover that their childcare will end in three days, particularly when both parents are working full time. I hope this experience prompts serious reflection on how this childminding business plans for continuity of care in the future.

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