Francine

Warm, loving environment

Our daughter was with Francine from the age of 12 months to 2.5 years, and she really loved her time there. From the start, Francine was incredibly warm and loving, which helped so much with the settling process (both for our daughter and for us as parents). She gave our daughter lots of time and attention as she gained in confidence in a new setting, and always made for a very fun environment for all the children - lots of laughter and games.

Her home is really well set up for the kids, with a big, jam-packed playroom and a lovely garden full of different toys on rotation. We also really appreciated that Francine spent time on age-appropriate learning activities, including counting in English and French, and lots more. Francine was very attentive to how the children interacted with one another, which meant a lot to us. She was also so helpful with potty training - our daughter showed a willingness to get started pretty early, which Francine was keen to support. As a result, our daughter was comfortably out of nappies around her second birthday, and the whole process was really positive.

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by Cailin on 11/09/2024

More family than a childminder!

Both of my daughters have been with Francine since they were babies and they are now 5 & 7. You couldn’t want for a better experience for your children. Leaving your babies for the first time can be a bit nerve racking but Francine puts you at ease with her warm, friendly and motherly nature.

My daughters learnt so much while with Francine and were perfectly set up for the transition to primary school. They still love seeing her and she is now just an extension of our family.

I couldn’t want for a better childminder, her energy is contagious and I cannot recommend her enough, any child would love being with her!

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by Colette on 28/08/2024

Excellent childcare

Our daughter has been cared for by Francine for 3 days a week over 2.5 years, and we are very satisfied with the whole experience. She developed a close relationship with Francine, and always enjoyed going to spend the day with her and the other kids. Francine has a very personal approach to working with each of the children and their parents, is always reliable and a great communicator. The time spent at the daycare includes play and learning and development exercises, and we were impressed with how much our daughter developed under Francine's care. Francine has energy, enthusiasm, and a really positive outlook on life, and we highly recommend her to other families.

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by Lotte on 10/09/2023

The best childminder you could wish for!

Francine is the most wonderful childminder you could ever hope for. She looked after our daughter Cassie for 18 months and we wish it could have been longer. Sadly we moved house so had to say goodbye and my partner and I were just as bereft as Cassie to leave!

Francine is like no other, we are in awe of her energy and her positive attitude. She always has something fun planned for the children and they all completely and utterly adore her. Cassie learnt so much from her time with Francine, and made so many new friends. It really was the perfect setting for her, especially starting at a young age.

Francine makes such a huge effort to plan a variety of activities, from days out to playgroups and trips to the farm. Her house is well equipped with plenty of things to do for the children, she has an amazing garden and lots of books and toys.

Francine always kept communication open and updated us regularly with how Cassie was doing, sharing photos of her day and what she had been up to, which was really important to us, especially at the start as she was settling in.

We could not recommend Francine more, our whole family love her so much!

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by sydneync on 07/09/2023

The most amazing childminder you'll ever have

Francine has been minding our son since he was 12months and we could not recommend her more highly.
From the first day we met her she showed such love and warmth and joy for her role. She clearly loves the kids and they love her. Our son has the most wonderful time with her and has developed into such a characterful and chatty, outgoing boy, which we know is down to Francine's joie de vivre. He has learnt so much with her and is so happy and comfortable in her presence. Caregivers are co-parents to an extent and I could not have imagined finding someone so lovely who I trust to help our little boy develop.
Francine also has such a great set up, with a dedicated space for the kids, the perfect garden to play in, and she regularly takes them to playgroups or days out which mean they get great variety in their days.
I honestly have never felt more bereft to say goodbye to someone and will miss her myself as much as my son will miss her! If you lucky to get a space with Francine, you'll never regret it.

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by Lianne on 30/05/2023

Last minute childcare hero!

Our 7 month old Aoife spent a couple of very happy days over the summer with Francine when we needed some last-minute childcare. She was fed properly and thoroughly entertained by Francine, who kept us updated during the day of what Aoife was getting up to in the well-established childcare setting. If we need someone again, Francine would be our first port of call.

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by Frankie on 01/09/2022

We love Francine :)

Francine has been our 18 months old's childminder for 4 days a week since he started in childcare at 12 months old. We have been so lucky finding her.

When looking at childcare options, we wanted our son to be in a family environment with people who love and care for him and with other children of a similar age to interact with. Francine is incredibly warm and loving, always giving cuddles and reassuring words. Rex has made lots of friends with the other, all pre-school aged children in her care. She is clearly motivated to provide the best care, doing a range of daily activities including visits to playgroups, circle time, reading, painting...the list goes on. My partner and I are in awe of her energy. She also has the loveliest family who clearly love having the little ones around - her teenagers are such fantastic role models for the little people (and great for fun games in the evening!).

Our son has thrived during his time with her. He absolutely loves going to Francine's, often taking his bag to the door and grabbing his shoes long before it is time for us to leave in the morning. When he arrives, he always gives Francine the biggest hug and in the evening sometimes doesn't want to leave. We try not to take it to personally!

Finally Francine is an absolute baby magician. Our son is a super energetic ball of energy and she's managed to channel this so that he loves doing things that can be a struggle with toddlers. He happily walks along the road holding our hands, loves showing us how to put his coats and shoes on, is always ready to brush his teeth and even doesn't mind getting his nappy changed.

Thank you so much Francine for all your love and support with our little man!

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by Maia on 07/12/2021

Fantastic childminder

The first thing that strikes you about Francine is her enthusiasm and energy. She is so warm and bubbly and her genuine love of children really shines through. Her setting is homely and organised and she makes a real effort to provide varied activities, whether it's counting in French or baking. Our son loves the time he spends with Francine - we are very lucky to have her.

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by Christin on 23/11/2021

Francine is the best!

We left our 9 month old son in Francine’s care full-time after an incredibly short settling in period, due to having postponed his start at nursery because of Covid fears. It was an emotional time for me, going back to work and changing childcare plans last-minute, and Francine couldn’t have made the transition easier. She sent updates on the first day, with pictures, and continued to provide daily pictures and summaries for the three months our son was in her care.

Francine is so warm and caring and the kids feel safe and happy in her presence from the start. She is creative and inventive with activities, and encourages learning and fun, and plenty of outdoor play, which our son loved.

The meals are varied, home-cooked and wholesome, and the environment is warm and loving. Francine’s kids are brilliant too, and it was lovely to see them also looking out for our son. We were gutted to have to finally switch to the nursery and wouldn’t hesitate to work with her again.

Can’t wait to have her babysit!

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by Katie on 01/04/2021

We struck gold!

We found Francine more by luck than judgement and we couldn't be happier with the care she provides our 17 month old son. She is an amazing mix of warm and caring, but full of fun and energy as well. Our son loves the time he spends with Francine and has developed so much whilst in her care. From the very beginning we knew she was special and would become more than a childminder to us. She spent lots of time getting to know us before I went back to work, and I had absolute confidence that he would be fine once I left him. Leaving your child with someone who you know truly cares about them is so important and we feel incredibly grateful for Francine every day! We cannot recommend her enough.

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by Amy Ryan on 13/11/2020