Jacksnan

Three Children, Nearly Ten Years, One Amazing Chil

We honestly don’t know where to start, because calling Sara a “childminder” doesn’t really feel right anymore. After nearly a decade of having all three of our children in her care, Sara has become so much more than that, she has become part of our family.

Our journey with Sara began in 2017, when Riley started with her. He was only little, but the friendships and memories he made at Sara’s have stayed with him. One of the friends he met there is still his best friend today, which says so much about the little community Sara creates around the children.

Then came Olivia in 2020. She too made a very special friendship at Sara’s, with Daisy, and that friendship has continued beyond her time there. It’s amazing to look back and realise that Sara hasn’t just provided childcare for our children, she has given them friendships, experiences, confidence and memories that they will carry with them.

And then Indie joined in 2024. Even though her time with Sara was shorter, she was made to feel just as loved, safe and at home. She recently left in August to start preschool, and, of course, she had made her own special friendship with Sav along the way. Sara actually potty trained Indie herself without us having to ask! That’s the level of care and understanding she gives the children. She knows them so well, notices what they need and genuinely invests in helping them grow.

Over the years, we have watched all three of our children become more confident, independent and sociable while in Sara’s care. They have had countless adventures, activities, days out and experiences, but it’s the little things that stand out just as much, the cuddles, the encouragement, the laughter, the friendships and the feeling that they are genuinely loved and cared for.

There is something incredibly reassuring about leaving your children with someone you trust completely. We have never felt that they were simply being “looked after”. They have been nurtured, encouraged, entertained, challenged and, most importantly, loved.

Sara has been there through such a huge part of our children’s early years, and it’s hard to put into words how grateful we are for that. She has watched them grow, celebrated their milestones and become someone our children have formed a genuine bond with.

In fact, Sara is now family to us, arguably even more so than the children’s own grandparents!

We couldn’t recommend Sara highly enough to any family looking for childcare. If you are lucky enough to get a place with her, you are not just finding a childminder, you are finding someone who will become a truly special part of your child’s childhood and, ultimately, a special part of your family’s life.

Thank you, Sara, for nearly ten years of love, care, patience, fun, friendship and memories. We will always be incredibly grateful that all three of our children got to have their own special experience with you. ❤️

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by Nikolett on 28/09/2026

Response by jacksnan on 28/09/2026:

Oh my goodness Niki, thank you so much for taking the time to write such a beautiful and incredibly heartfelt review. ❤️

Your words honestly mean more to me than I can put into words. Nearly ten years is such a huge part of my life, and having all three of your children come through my setting has been such a privilege and something I will always treasure.

Watching them grow from little ones into the confident, funny, independent and wonderful children they are today has been one of the greatest joys of being a childminder. I have loved every cuddle, every adventure, every little milestone, every friendship, every laugh and, yes, all those precious little moments in between that make this job so special. ❤️

It really does mean the world to me to know that you have trusted me with your children and that you have felt they were not simply being looked after, but genuinely loved, nurtured, encouraged and valued. That is exactly what I have always hoped my setting would feel like — a little home from home where children feel safe, happy, confident and, most importantly, that they belong.

And I have to say, hearing that I have somehow become part of your family is incredibly special. 🥹❤️ I feel exactly the same way about you all. Families who stay with me for so many years become such a big part of my life, and saying goodbye when their childcare journey comes to an end is honestly one of the hardest parts of my job.

I’m so grateful that all three of your children have had their own special journey with me, and I will always have such fond memories of each of them. They have each brought their own personality, laughter and magic into my little setting, and they have all left their own little mark on my heart.

Thank you for trusting me, believing in me and allowing me to be such a special part of your children’s early years. I feel incredibly lucky to have had you all in my life for nearly ten years, and I will treasure your beautiful words and all the memories we have made together for many, many years to come. ❤️

With lots of love,
Sara xxx ❤️

More Than a Childminder

We honestly couldn’t recommend Sara enough. We now know why her sibling return is so high!!

Savannah has been going to Sara since she was just 10 months old, and from the very beginning, Sara has been so much more than a childminder to us — she has become someone we completely trust and who has played such a huge part in Savannah’s early years.

Those first few sessions were unsettled, as you would expect with such a little one being away from home, but Sara was incredible with her. She comforted her, settled her and gave her that lovely “home from home” feeling that every parent hopes their child will have when they’re not with them. It didn’t take long for Savannah to absolutely adore going.

In fact, she loves Sara’s so much that she asks to go at the weekends!

Sara genuinely cares about the children as if they were her own. She spoils them, takes them on wonderful days out and creates so many lovely experiences and memories for them. It’s not simply childcare — Savannah has had a little community there, made some really close friendships, and we’ve even continued those friendships outside of Sara’s care.

Watching how much Savannah has developed since being with Sara has been amazing. Her confidence has grown so much, alongside her independence, communication, writing and learning. Sara has encouraged her, supported her and helped her grow into the confident little girl she is today.

And honestly, I’m already devastated that this is going to be our last year with Sara as Savannah starts school. It feels like the end of such a special chapter for us, and I’m not sure we’ll ever find someone quite like her again.

We will always be incredibly grateful to Sara for everything she has done for Savannah — for every cuddle, every adventure, every little achievement, every friendship and all the love and care she has given her over the years.

Thank you, Sara, for giving us complete peace of mind knowing that Savannah was happy, safe, loved and having the best time while she was with you. We couldn’t have wished for anyone better to look after her during these precious early years.

We will miss you enormously when our time comes to an end, but we know just how lucky we have been to have had you. Thank you for being such a special part of Savannah’s childhood.

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by Rhia1992 on 28/09/2026

Response by jacksnan on 28/09/2026:

Thank you so, so much for such a beautiful review. 🥰❤️ Your words genuinely mean more to me than I can say.

It has been such a privilege to have Savannah with me from such a tiny little girl into the confident, happy and independent little girl she is today. Watching her grow, learn, make friendships and develop her own little personality has been such a special part of my life too.

I remember those early days and how important it was to make her feel safe, loved and at home, and it makes me so happy to know that you have always felt completely confident leaving her with me. That trust is something I have never taken for granted. ❤️

I have absolutely loved all of our adventures, cuddles, fun, laughter and the many memories we’ve made along the way. And yes… I think I might have been a little bit spoiled having Savannah ask to come at the weekends! 😂🥰

It is going to be incredibly emotional when she starts school, and I honestly don’t know where those years have gone. I will miss her enormously, but I feel so lucky to have been part of such an important chapter of her childhood.

Thank you for trusting me with your precious little girl and for allowing me to be part of your family for so many years. I will treasure the memories we’ve made and will always have a very special place in my heart for Savannah. ❤️

Thank you for choosing me all those years ago — it really has been an absolute pleasure and a privilege. 🥰❤️ xx

I would not recommend using this service.

Concerning experience with my 9-month-old

I arranged childcare with Sara for my 9-month-old son. Three settling sessions were originally planned. Two took place, but Sara cancelled the third, so his next attendance was his first full day.

Sara sent me updates and photographs during the day, which I appreciated. I also understand that babies can experience separation anxiety and that a childminder caring for several children cannot provide constant one-to-one attention.

However, several things during and after that first full day caused me serious concern.

During the day, Sara told me that my son was tired and unsettled and that she was unable to remain with him until he fell asleep because she also had other children to attend to.

At collection, I recall being told that he had been distressed for around 30 minutes and that this had been more like shouting than crying with tears. I found that very upsetting, particularly because he was only nine months old and still settling into an unfamiliar environment.

I also discovered a cut on his tongue when I collected him. Looking back afterwards at a photograph sent around midday, I could see what appeared to be the same mark. At collection, I recall Sara saying that another child had only brought the injury to her attention shortly before I arrived. Later that evening, Sara messaged to apologise and said she did not know how the injury had happened.

He had also taken relatively small amounts of milk during the day, I had been told about a small wet nappy, and he appeared unusually exhausted, quiet and withdrawn to me compared with his normal behaviour. I am not making a medical diagnosis; these were simply my observations as his mother.

The following morning, Sara questioned whether her childminding environment was the right type of childcare for him, suggested that one-to-one care such as a nanny might be more suitable, and said she was not comfortable caring for him that day until we had discussed matters.

That was ultimately what made continuing impossible for me. After the concerns from the first day, if the person I was trusting with my baby was herself questioning whether her environment was suitable for him and was not comfortable caring for him that day, I could not simply ignore that and send him back.

This happened on the second day of my new job, leaving me unexpectedly without childcare while I was already very worried about my baby. I found the whole experience extremely stressful and upsetting.

I recognise that not every childcare setting will suit every child. However, the combination of the distress, unexplained injury, his condition at collection, and Sara herself questioning whether her setting was appropriate caused me to lose confidence in continuing.

Based on my personal experience, I would not use this childcare setting again.

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by Samna on 25/09/2026

Response by jacksnan on 25/09/2026:

Thank you for sharing your experience. I am sorry that the family came away from this very short arrangement feeling upset.

I do, however, need to clarify that a number of the factual details and interpretations in this review are disputed.

From the outset, I explained that I am a childminder caring for a group of children, rather than providing one-to-one nanny care. I explained that a baby starting in a new setting may need time to settle into a new environment and routine, and that while I provide warm, responsive and affectionate care, I also have a responsibility to supervise and respond to the other children in my care.

I did not state that my childcare setting was unsuitable or inadequate. Following concerns after the first full day, I raised whether the level of continuous one-to-one care the parents were looking for was compatible with a group childminding environment and explained that one-to-one childcare might be an alternative if that was the level of care they required.

Regarding the tongue injury, I did not witness an incident causing it and have never claimed to know when or how it occurred. I therefore cannot accept any implication that its cause has been established.

I provided updates and photographs during the day and continued to comfort and reassure the child when he became tired and unsettled. As this was his first full day in a completely new childcare environment, some adjustment to a new routine and surroundings was to be expected.

I respect that the parents ultimately decided that a different childcare arrangement was preferable for their family. However, because several aspects of this review are disputed, I felt it was important that prospective families considering my setting were also aware of my position.

I remain committed to providing a caring, safe and stimulating home-from-home environment for the children in my care.

Jacksnan - the best childminder money can buy.

If your local to Cranfield and need to find reliable and decent care for your baby, look no further. Riley has been with Sara since he was just over 9 months old and he has loved every minute of it. His development since being there has come leaps and bounds. The activities they do on a daily basis, and the interaction they have with our son is fantastic.

Dont look at a childminder as a service or financial burden, look at them as an extention to your own family and you wont go far wrong.

Thanks Sara and Julie for offering a great service and an affordable cost!

The Rumbles x

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by Parent on 30/10/2017