Jessica

The Best Decision We Ever Made

We honestly couldn't have asked for a better childminder than Jo.

Catalina was with Jo for around a year, attending three days a week from the age of two. We visited two other childminders before meeting Jo, but from our very first phone conversation I felt an instant connection. When we went for our visit, Catalina walked straight in and made herself completely at home. She was normally quite shy in new environments, but with Jo she treated it as though it was her own house. That immediately gave me so much confidence that we'd found the right place.

From day one, Jo treated Catalina like one of her own family. She genuinely cares about every child she looks after, and it shows in everything she does. One of the biggest changes we saw while Catalina was with Jo was how much she developed. Her confidence, speech and love of learning came on in leaps and bounds during that year. Jo did so many fun educational activities with the children, including early phonics and learning through play, and you could really see how passionate she is about helping children reach their full potential. Catalina absolutely loved learning with Jo, and we truly believe Jo played a huge part in preparing her for nursery and giving her such a positive start.

Jo constantly went above and beyond, taking the children on wonderful outings, creating exciting experiences and making every day fun. Whether it was trips to the farm, thoughtful little gifts or celebrating birthdays and Christmas, she always put so much love and care into everything she did.

The effort she made for special occasions was incredible too. Mother's Day and Father's Day were always so thoughtful. I still treasure the beautiful keepsakes she helped Catalina make, including a handprint photo frame, along with flowers, chocolates and a card. They're memories we'll keep forever.

The only reason Catalina eventually left was because the older children she had formed close friendships with moved on to nursery and school, and we felt she needed to be in a larger group of children her own age for the next stage of her development. It had absolutely nothing to do with Jo or the quality of care she provided.

Even now, more than six months later, Catalina still regularly talks about Jo, and we still keep in touch. We often see each other because Jo's son attends the same school, and it's lovely that she's remained such a special part of our lives.

Jo isn't just an amazing childminder—she is one of the kindest, most caring and passionate people you could hope to leave your child with. Knowing Catalina was with her gave me complete peace of mind every single day. She treated her as if she were one of her own, and as a parent, there is nothing more reassuring than that.

If you're looking for a childminder who provides a true home-from-home environment, genuinely loves every child she cares for, goes above and beyond every single day, and helps children flourish in every aspect of their development, then I cannot recommend Jo highly enough. Choosing Jo was one of the best decisions we ever made, and we'll always be grateful for the love, care and memories she gave our family.

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• Communication

by Jessica about Joanne (Childminder) on 02/07/2026