Disappointing experience
We’ve had a horrendous experience with this provider, albeit we have come away feeling like we dodged a bullet.
We first visited when I was pregnant and we were blown away by the setting. It’s incredible in terms of facilities. We were so happy to have secured places for our twins.
Fast forward to a couple of months before the twins were due to start, and we received an email from the childminder asking us to come back for a further visit to “build a relationship” ahead of the girls starting. We of course agreed. There was some back and forth trying to find a suitable date and time that worked for everyone and, at one point, we didn’t respond for a week over half term. This wasn’t intentional, life was simply busy.
When we did reply, agreeing to the suggested date, we received an email from the male owner stating that taking over a week to respond was not how he did business. He also said they had “reservations” about us and that it was therefore essential that we meet. Given that the couple had only met us once, I was left unsure what those reservations could have been. He went on to say, “We just don’t feel an initial working relationship has started to develop and this is something we both consider essential.”
I wasn’t aware it had been our responsibility to build a relationship with them prior to our girls starting. He signed off his email with the following - “if you still wish to place the twins with us may I suggest you come back with some times and dates that may fit both of our schedules.”
We were extremely upset by this exchange and were left feeling that the girls’ places could potentially be withdrawn despite having already been confirmed in writing. It totally undermined our confidence in the arrangement and ultimately we decided that we could not move forward with the setting.
We were devastated and left in an awful situation with no alternative childcare just six weeks before my return to work.
As a same-sex family, the experience unfortunately left us questioning whether there may have been any element of bias in how we were treated. We have no way of knowing whether that was the case, but it added another layer of distress to an already upsetting situation.
My advice would be to proceed with caution. Our experience left us feeling that prospective parents are being assessed against standards that are not clearly communicated, and that a place may not feel as secure as you might expect even after being confirmed.
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Overall
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Communication
Response from StuartS
Responded
We are sorry to hear that you were disappointed by your experience. Our intention throughout was to maintain clear communication and establish a positive working relationship ahead of the girls starting with us.
Following only one initial visit and given the time that had passed without further communication, we felt a further meeting would have been appropriate to reconnect and ensure expectations were aligned before the placement began.
At no point was there any intention to cause upset or uncertainty, and we want to be clear that we do not hold any bias towards individual family circumstances. We are committed to welcoming and supporting every family, and to building respectful and professional relationships from the outset. Our journey into childcare was deeply shaped by the loss of our daughter, and her memory continues to influence the love, care, and dedication we bring to every child we look after.
As childcare providers, we believe this role is about far more than simply offering a service; it is about building trust, maintaining clear communication, and creating respectful relationships with every family from the outset.
We would, however, like to wish you and your family all the very best for the future, and hope you find a setting that meets your expectations and provides a happy start for the girls.
Best wishes
Louise and Stuart
Childcare at Lauren's House