Important information for parents

I'm pretty sure this is the first negative review I have ever left, and I have thought carefully before posting it. My intention is not to attack anyone, but to make sure other parents have information that I believe should have been disclosed before choosing something as important as childcare.

My daughter enjoyed her short time with Roisin and had a lovely time with the other children on the outings. I have no criticism of how she was treated during the six sessions she attended.

However, on my daughter's sixth day I arrived at approximately 9:45am and personally saw a man and woman leaving the property. One of them then returned to speak to Roisin after she answered the door. When I asked if the house was also operating as an Airbnb, she confirmed that it was.

This came as a complete surprise because the property being used to accommodate Airbnb guests had never been disclosed before we entered into the childcare agreement.

After raising my concerns, Roisin confirmed in writing that the Care Inspectorate was aware of the arrangement, that Airbnb guests left as children were arriving, that guests could occasionally use the kitchen for water, used the upstairs bathroom, and might use the downstairs toilet during the night. She also stated they had been operating the Airbnb for around nine years.

I later found the Airbnb listing, which advertised shared common spaces, a shared bathroom, kitchen access and breakfast.

The listing was advertising availability during dates that overlapped with my daughter's childcare sessions, and one guest review even commented that "having a day care at home meant we couldn't sleep in the mornings." This was consistent with my understanding that the Airbnb and childminding were operating alongside each other.

As parents, we were simply not comfortable with our child being cared for in a home that was also accommodating paying guests/ complete strangers, particularly when we had not been told beforehand. We immediately ended the childcare arrangement.

The Airbnb listing has since been removed, but that does not change the fact that it was operating while my daughter attended or that it had not been disclosed to us at all. Once trust had been broken, we no longer felt comfortable continuing.

Every family will make their own decision about whether they are comfortable with this type of arrangement. I am simply sharing our experience so that other parents can make an informed decision with information that we did not have before enrolling.