There is noone else I could have trusted my second child with! Initially, there was an issue with Rachel's availability and I felt like my world had turned upside down! My husband and I even discussed that I would delay my return to work til Rachel became available. Luckily, the stars were on my side and we worked out an arrangement.

Rachel is innately a warm hearted, gentle soul and has a wonderful way of nurturing and educating children. She is not a childminder because it suits her family needs, she is a childminder because it suits her personality.

My little boy is another clingy baby, and still tears up upon dropping him off, but Rachel has reassured me and sent me pictures that literally he is fine minutes later, as I am walking to the station. This shows that he does trust her and feels comfortable with her. And what is so warming is that at home, when he sees pictures of Rachel from when she used to look after my daughter, he kisses the card! You cannot get much more comfort than that!

Rachel is very organised, and chooses her activities carefully , which are fun and also educational. She has lived in the area for many years and is well informed of the local area and events. Recently, she took her group to a new park that has been built. Her playroom is also very tidy and clean but full of toys and activities. It is a bright setting and has easy access to her amazing garden.

She also teaches good manners and it is helpful that she is very polite and well mannered herself - so the children like to imitate and copy. She also is well informed of cultural events and even birthdays! She also takes into account very carefully the needs of each individual child, what they like to play with, what they can do together as a group. She is also conscious of working together with the parents, to ensure everyone is on the same page and we can work together in keeping updated of the child's developmental progress and how to best support the child together. An example of this is due to my son's being a late speaker, she asked for us to give a list of words that my son uses at home, both in English and our native language. This shows that she loves to support the child's development progress and not just looking after the child.

Rachel is also very good at giving advice about sleep patterns and eating habits. Her experience with a range of children helps this and find a routine that fits best with each child. She is also good at trying out different foods with the children - for example, even though I give packed lunches and snacks, she has found out my son loves chopping on celery - a food that he would never has tried at home!

My older child is now 8 and my son is just short of 2 years - we had maintained good contact over the years and has loved being updated with my 8 year old's progress. She shows that she really does care and it is not just a 'job' for her.

Thank you so much to Childcare.com for helping me find her 7 years ago!

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