Michelle

Disappointed

I’m disappointed with how this situation was handled. While I understand that not every childcare setting is the right fit for every child, I feel the approach taken lacked communication and flexibility.

My son is only one year old, and the behaviours described—needing comfort, becoming upset, and requiring attention—are all age-appropriate. It would have been helpful to see more understanding of this, particularly as young children naturally take time to settle into new environments. There had also been a gap in his attendance due to a number of reasons, which would likely have contributed to him being more unsettled.

I was also concerned that responsibility appeared to be linked to my son in relation to another child’s accident. At his age, he is not capable of understanding or controlling situations in that way, and I feel this was unfairly presented. Accidents do happen with young children, and while upsetting, it is not appropriate to attribute this to the needs of a one-year-old.

This situation arose during a difficult time for our family following a recent bereavement, which had been communicated and understandably affected my son’s behaviour.

Communication was a key issue. I was informed via text message that it would be his last day, with no prior verbal discussion, and I was not made aware that a decision had been reached to end his placement. There was no opportunity to explore possible solutions, adjustments, or a gradual resettling process, which was disappointing.

The timing was particularly difficult, as I was due to return to work the following week, leaving very little time to arrange alternative childcare.

Overall, while I appreciate the honesty in saying the setting may not have been suitable, I would have expected a more supportive, communicative, and considerate approach—especially given my son’s age and the circumstances at the time. I would encourage other parents to consider their individual needs and their child’s stage of development carefully when choosing this setting.

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by Georgia on 02/05/2026

Response by Michelle on 04/05/2026:

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. I’m truly sorry that you feel upset about how things were handled, and I’d like to respond to some of your concerns.

Firstly, I completely understand that your child’s behaviour—seeking comfort, becoming upset, and needing reassurance—is entirely age-appropriate, particularly given his age and your family circumstances at the time. My decision was never a reflection on your child himself, but rather on my ability to safely meet his needs alongside the needs of the other children in my care.

At no point did I place responsibility on your child for another child’s accident. What I explained was that, due to the level of attention your child required while he was so distressed, I was unable to supervise all children as effectively as I normally would. My responsibility is to maintain a safe environment for every child, and I had to act when I felt I could no longer do that to the standard required.

In terms of communication, I do use written messages as my primary form of contact during working hours. This ensures there is a clear and accurate record, and also reflects the reality that I am unable to take phone calls while actively caring for multiple young children. Prior to your child’s last day, I had communicated ongoing concerns about his distress and settling, and the final message was sent once it became clear that I could not safely continue his placement.

I was sorry not to hear from you following that day, as I would have welcomed the opportunity to discuss things further. As a gesture of goodwill, I refunded your deposit, despite not being required to do so.

I appreciate that the timing was very difficult for you, and I do not take decisions like this lightly. However, my duty of care to all children in my setting has to remain my priority at all times.

I genuinely wish you and family all the very best moving forward, and I hope you are able to find a setting that is the right fit for him and fully supports his needs.

Honest, kind and flexible childminder

We feel so grateful to have Michelle as our childminder for our daughter Iona.
Before we met with Michelle we met others and had a lot say they were full so concern was setting in, then Michelle scheduled an intro session and as soon as we were in her home, it was relief and we were so pleased.

Michelle managed the settling in sessions in a great way which helped Iona feel safe and familiar, it also worked with my phased return.

Since then, our experience has been great, Michelle’s whole family has welcomed Iona, even the cat, and it’s lovely to know she’s in a caring environment.

Everyday they are doing a variety of activities, they spend a lot of time outside with nature which is really important to us, and when they are at home, Michelle provides rich variety of activities from cooking to seasonal related play.

Michelle offers flexibility which makes my life a lot easier and I am grateful for that.
I know Iona is happy everyday and that at the end of the day is all we wanted.

Thank you so much

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by sarah on 09/10/2025

Excellent childcare provider

Michelle helped me out when our previous childminder couldn’t have my twin girls for odd days. I moved the girls into nursery earlier this year but they could only do 4 days so I went to Michelle for Fridays. The girls love going to ‘Chelle’s and have a wonderful time every week. They get very excited on a Thursday and can’t wait to get there.
Michelle is fantastic with them and has ‘adopted’ them both into her family. Her own kids are brilliant at playing with them too. I’ll be sad when the twins go to school next September!

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by SuzyRuck on 07/10/2025