Helen Ca

Excellent childminder!

Helen has been our daughters childminder since the age of two.
I cannot express how grateful we are to Helen for not only caring for our daughter three days a week but the amount our daughter has learnt and grown with the other children she cares for I can not thank her enough.
Helen goes above and beyond taking the children to groups daily , day trips , park walks , you name it she has been there and done it - again I can’t thank Helen enough.
Helens home is set up for the children , having their own pegs , always changes her displays at home from being seasonal / topical , makes the most wonderful , creative presents and drawings and our daughter always comes home with a full belly of home cooked food .. healthy and nutritious .
Helen always asks what the children like and changes meal plans to suit the children.

Communication is amazing with a detailed message daily plus photos of what the children have been up to.
Our daughter will still be with Helen but she is starting school in September - to anyone who is looking for a childminder please get in touch.
We thank Helen for being such an amazing childminder and for doing such a good job to help our daughter be the little person she is- I cannot take full credit as Helen has been a big part of her life.
Thank you Helen !

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by Jane on 09/07/2023

Well deserved great reputation!

We found Helen when we needed wraparound childcare for our son who was about to start school. We were relatively new to the area so weren’t aware of what a great reputation she has. We quickly picked up on how professional, organised and all round amazing with the children she was and secured a space for our daughter while I was still pregnant! Our daughter is now 2 and can often be spotted, along with her little friends, walking up the hill with Helen having chats about the world and running around all of the local outdoor spaces. We get sent lovely pictures every day and I’ve often had local mums tell me that they’ve seen my daughter out with Helen looking super happy- she was only 8 months old when she started so it was lovely to hear.

Despite Covid closing many of the places Helen would usually visit with the children, she is great at making fun for the children and mixing things up- Helen definitely makes the most of the many open spaces near to us and I’m certain that my daughter knows the local area better than I do! My son is one of the few older children that Helen has for school drop off and she manages the different requirements and ages through good organisation as she knows them all so well. Helen’s menu is fab- the children eat amazing home cooked meals and she has always been supportive of different dietary needs. It really does take a village to raise a child, especially with two working parents- we are really grateful that we have Helen as part of ours!

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by Lyndsey on 05/04/2021

Highly recommended childminder

My daughter has been with Helen full-time since she was 9 months old (she was 2 in April 2017) and we have seen her thrive in the stimulating and caring environment Helen provides. What I really liked in deciding to go with Helen on my return to work is the knowledge that much of the day is spent "out and about" at various local groups with other children and child-minders versus a nursery setting with only very limited periods outdoors. Helen keeps me updated on how the day is going and it's wonderful to receive daily online reports, with photographs, on the amazing activities. I can rely on her to work with me (and give me valuable advice!) on making a joint plan of approach to tackle various developmental stages - napping, weaning from the dummy, walking, potty training, discipline .. we truly are a "united front!". Helen makes sure that each individual's child's needs are considered and catered for (for example we've discovered my daughter is Gluten Intolerant and Helen goes above and beyond to think about how to keep things fun for her at meal times). The different age ranges and interests are also considered when planning activities and there is such a variety I don't know where she gets the energy from! Helen is approachable, flexible and incredibly generous with the children - my daughter trots off so happily and can't wait to meet her friends that it makes it easy for me to transition back to work. I would have no hesitation in recommending Helen to anyone or providing further references.

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by SnaithL on 27/06/2017

Caring, conscientious childminder

My children have been with Helen for 3 and 5 years. In that time she has played a key role in their growth and development. Both children are always eager to head to hers and come home full of tales of their adventures and with various 'treasures' they have made under Helen's supervision.

Over the years at Helen's, they have experienced of being part of a close-knit group of children of various ages, which has developed their confidence no end. Similarly they have gained great confidence from learning to interact with and care for Helen's one cat - they are now much more self-assured around animals and enjoy playing with and talking about her.

Helen is very good at sharing information, and I always feel I know what my children have been up to during the day, which makes being away from them less of a drag. She is always happy to discuss any worries and to share ideas and strategies - from settling in, to potty training to starting school.

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by Parent on 21/09/2015

We will miss Helen!

Our son started going to Helen's when he was around 9 months old (he is now 18 months old). It was difficult for me as he was still so small, but Helen was very supportive. We gently eased him into his new environment and they started to get to know each other. While subtle changes were made to his routine in terms of feeding and naps, Helen was always checking that we were happy and that they didn’t disrupt our home life. I was really impressed that Helen encouraged us to meet the other children she cared for (who were/are delightful and happy, which is always a great sign!) as well as her children when they returned from University.

One of the many things I love about Helen is that she is constantly stimulating our son whether it is by taking him to the playground, cooking, craft, dancing or just playing with the other children.

Helen is very professional and is Ofsted outstanding. Helen follows the early years learning criteria and maintains a folder with photos of fun activities and how our son is meeting learning / development criteria. Helen also writes in a diary everyday so we know what he has been up to.

Helen has an abundance of energy and it is evident that she invests it into the little ones. Helen has also been amazing when our little one has been poorly – very caring.

We will be returning to Australia at the end of July and only wish we could take Helen with us - she will be missed!

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by Parent on 14/05/2014

Our little boy is always happy

We have had our 3-year old with Helen for close to two years. We chose her because she appeared to us as the most professional of all the childminders we visited in our area. She has had several Ofsted reports all of which have been Outstanding.
She takes the children in her care regularly to several children's centres in the area, as well as different interesting trips to farms, parks, etc. These are always backed up with photos of the activities for the parents. A diary is filled in each day with comments by both parents and childminder about activities the children have been involved at home and in the childminder's environment.
She follows up on the children's development, with what has been achieved and targets for the next period, providing us with regular written reports.
She provides a safe and welcoming environment for the children. And our little boy is always happy and delighted about being dropped off at Helen's.

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by Parent on 04/04/2014