We had agreed on a regular childcare arrangement, but reliability broke down very early after only a few shifts. After that, I found it very difficult to rely on her for childcare.

On one occasion, arranged childcare fell through only a few hours before I was due to leave for an evening/night shift, leaving me in an extremely difficult position trying to find replacement childcare at very short notice.

Afterwards, she told me to let her know whenever I needed cover and indicated that she was available. However, when I subsequently contacted her about specific shifts, there were repeated changes, appointments, uncertainty and occasions where I could not get a clear or timely confirmation. This meant that even when I was told she was available, I could not confidently plan my work around that availability.

I completely understand that genuine emergencies and personal circumstances happen, but when someone agrees to provide childcare that a parent is relying on in order to work, reasonable notice and dependable communication are extremely important.

Based on my experience, I would not personally rely on her for childcare where my ability to attend work depended on confirmed cover. The repeated uncertainty and last-minute changes caused me a great deal of stress and repeatedly left me worried about whether I would have childcare when I needed to leave for work.

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