Our son started attending Daisy Childminding in February 2021, at the peak of the second wave of Covid. As a first time mom, I was concerned about my son going for full days to a care setting. In our assessment visit itself, I knew this was the right place for him. He was comfortable and responded as Monika interacted with him. It was calming to see him engage so easily with her. During the settling period, Kasia, his keyworker, was warm and welcomed him with big smiles each morning. Except a few seconds on the first day, my boy happily went in each day of his first week. I was supported to continue with breastfeeding through bottle fed which helped him settle in. The staff team also built on his sleeping skills and we noticed his sleep improve over time.
The team also ensured his dietary needs were met- offering a good variety of vegetarian meals. The food is freshly cooked and smells amazing. I have never once had to worry if he has eaten!

Over the past two years, my son happily walks out of home each morning, ready for a day of fun and engaging activities. The day is structured and we have seen our son learn a number of life skills from dressing (wearing his socks, shoes, t-shirt), eating (using cutlery) to self care (washing hands and toileting). At 2.5 years, Monika informed us that he will move up to the toddler room and we noticed his language skills grow tremendously in a short span of 3 months. We love the variety of activities in phonics and numeracy he accesses. He has begun to show interest in reading at home too, reading number plates, and letters on groceries and clothing. So glad to see the love for reading being instilled so early on.

We really look forward to our lunch time updates via photos and videos of his day. These bring us tremendous joy, allowing us to have conversations with him at end of the day. The team communicate honestly with us, sharing difficult moments experienced as well as achievements of the day. They are patient, consistent in discipline, and open to feedback. We have greatly appreciated this cooperation.

It is evident in their every interaction that looking after the children is not just a job for them. There is genuine love for them. We noted this specifically how his 1st birthday was celebrated by them. I was truly moved. We come from a Hindu family and I was very pleased to see how Diwali was celebrated in the setting. He was exposed to the religious stories and songs. The team being bilingual is also an added advantage, as it ensures my son understands different languages are spoken by different people, and to learn his mother tongue. He is encouraged to be proud of his roots and ethnicity.

Monika and the team (have been very supportive of our family, showing flexibility and allowing our son to attend different days when work commitments required me to switch days. This type of support is unheard of in bigger nurseries or chains. They have gone above and beyond to help, and even got us back home when our car broke down!

I would not hesitate even once to recommend Monika to other parents.

• Overall
• Setting
• Cleanliness
• Food
• Communication