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amounts of milk during the day, I had been told about a small wet nappy, and he appeared unusually exhausted, quiet and withdrawn to me compared with his normal behaviour.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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Response from jacksnan
Responded
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.