Caleb has a song for Samiya. It starts, “I love Samiya”, and then he works his way through the rest of the team. That sums it up for us.

We were tipped off about her when Caleb was a baby. Three and a half years later, Samiya, her husband Sami and the whole team are woven into his life. They have always seen him for who he is, cared for him with enormous affection and expected the best of him.

Caleb is an August baby, so we worried about whether he would be ready for school. Samiya was a primary school teacher and it shows. She prides herself on getting children “school ready”. He absolutely is.

His world has been bigger because of them: parks, nature, trips into London, different cultures, festivals and traditions. He has made wonderful friends and is incredibly affectionate with babies and patient with younger children - very much part of the culture Samiya has created.

It made complete sense when Lambeth’s Early Years team recently asked her to support other childminders in the borough.

Caleb will be back in the holidays, and our daughter starts next year. We are so relieved that this is not the end.

We love Samiya too.

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