I have always had a genuine love of children, so I trained and became a social worker specialising in children and young people when I left school.
I registered as a childminder and started to care for other people’s children in my own home after the birth of my elder son because I simply couldn’t bear the thought of leaving my baby with someone I didn’t know! The whole ‘leaving my baby’ situation was compounded because childcare was poorly regulated then. I didn’t know anyone who used childcare; there were no day nurseries in Ivybridge, and the process of registering childminders with Social Services was in its infancy.
As an ex-social worker, with a fertile imagination (!), my instincts just wouldn’t let me leave my baby with someone I didn't know.
Consequently, I now have over 25 years of experience as a registered childminder. Throughout this time, I have experienced a lot of change within the profession and have always embraced new practices willingly due to the benefit to both the children and their families. I am passionate about the impact that high-quality early years care and education can have on children. Maintaining my continuing professional development enables me to incorporate different ways of helping children learn and develop into my childminding practice.
I am married to Ken, who is semi-retired and helps out during the day, have two adult sons and a dog called Lily