Worse childminder
This has been the worst childminder experience I have had in Cambridge. Instead of supporting parents, it feels like everything is only about getting as much money as possible from families. Parents already work hard to provide for their children, and a childminder should be helping families, not making things harder.
One of the biggest issues was the constant judgmental attitude. She commented negatively about my clothes and even said she would never let her own daughter wear the same things. She also made comments about “what my son might say when he grows up.” That kind of mentality is unhealthy and inappropriate around children. Children should grow up around positive, respectful people, not someone who judges parents for personal choices.
There were also problems with invoices and payments. I noticed incorrect calculations that always seemed to benefit her financially, which made me lose trust completely. On top of that, she was dishonest about funded childcare hours. At first, she promised I would receive the full 15 funded hours, but later reduced it to only 11 hours after realising she would not make as much money. It honestly felt unfair and misleading to parents who rely on honesty and transparency.
Another concern was the level of care provided. Most of the time the children seemed to just be sleeping so she would not have to do much with them, and it even appeared that she herself was sleeping often too. The environment did not feel active, engaging, or properly attentive for children. On top of that, the children regularly seemed to have viral infections, which made the overall situation feel even more concerning.
What made things even more suspicious was that as soon as these concerns were raised, her profile was hidden. To me, that says a lot about the type of person she is and how she handles criticism and accountability. In my experience, it felt more like parents and children were being used for financial benefit rather than genuinely cared for and supported.
A childminder should care about children, provide a safe and positive environment, and support families — not focus only on profit while judging parents. I would not recommend this childminder to anyone, and any childminder behaving in a similar way should also be considered unacceptable.