Our son was cared for by Elaine from the age of 1-4, stopping only because he started school and this was too far away from Elaine's home to be practical for after school care.

He had a fantastic time there, and was settled, secure and happy. We have an older child who went to nursery only, and having compared the two experiences we would maintain that our younger son had a more positive childcare experience than his brother.

The children are made to feel part of Elaines family, and it really felt like we were dropping him off to a friend/aunty who loves kids. Our son thrived on the home made food, the routines, the activities, and joining in local groups/clubs.

Elaine and John had regular" theme" weeks eg: Chinese New Year (his first try with chop sticks and a visit to Birmingham Chinese Quarter) Space (their lounge converted to a space ship with costumes, space games, space food, and a trip to Leicester Space Centre.)

Even a wet day in the house would be made fun just with simple activities that children love.

I would sum Elaine up as someone who is warm, caring, practical, and completely trustworthy. We have stayed in touch and our son still talks fondly about his time there (he is now 6). Elaine gave us a dvd with loads of photos of his years with her and he looks at it regularly.

The biggest thing for me was that I could say goodbye to him 4 days a week, but not feel guilty going to work as he would cheerily wave me off.