Ana R

Placement offered to another family without notice

I was very disappointed with my experience. I had been in contact with this childminder about a placement for my daughter and had requested the childcare agreement a couple of times to review and sign. We had also visited the setting a couple of times and made clear our intentions. Less than a week after the agreement was finally sent, I found out - only after I followed up - that the placement had already been given to someone else without any notice.
I completely understand that places can fill up quickly, but I would have appreciated clear communication or at least being informed before the placement was offered to another family. The lack of transparency was unprofessional.

• Overall

by Ana R about Jay (Childminder) on 05/11/2025

Response by Jay on 05/11/2025:

Dear Ana,

You visited my setting twice to discuss a possible childcare place. During your visits, I shared full details about my daily routine, meals, planning and assessments, and policies, and later emailed you my own permissions paperwork and the Redbridge funding forms as you wanted to claim free childcare hours. I also explained that I use the standard PACEY contract for all families, which is provided once a placement and funding is confirmed.

All relevant information was communicated clearly and transparently throughout our correspondence. However, I did not receive any confirmation or completed forms from you to secure the place. As you will know from working in early years yourself, a space cannot be held indefinitely without written confirmation or deposit. When another family confirmed and returned their details, the vacancy was offered to them.

I understand you are disappointed and hope you find the childcare that suits your family’s needs. My aim is always to communicate openly and fairly with all parents who visit my setting. I feel that it is extremely unfair for you to leave a review on my childcare services when you were never a parent I worked with.

Kind regards,
Jay