Sunny Steps Childminding

10/10/2026

Today is world mental health day.
We all have such busy lives & days but it is so important to remember to take time to look after ourselves as well. ❤️

08/10/2026

Treasure hunting in the woods today 🍁
The older children have been armed with clipboards, lists & pens. Finding as much treasure as they can & marking it off proudly. A great way to understand the nature around us & to see it up close.
A really lovely morning enjoying the fresh air & sunshine ☀️ together ❤️

08/10/2026

Escaping the rain yesterday we met up with friends to have a play & celebrate a birthday 🥳🎂.
A great chance to run around, challenge ourselves further & see some friends.
A chance to understand that we are all special & wonderful especially on our birthday ❤️

08/10/2026

Lots of fab opportunities to learn more about space & what it is ☄️🔭🚀
From orbits to space rockets to satellites 🛰️ to planets 🪐 using technology 💻 to help with our understanding.
Sticker creating too to help build up our fine motor skills in our fingers as well 🖐️❤️

06/10/2026

After reading about this totally distressing report earlier a fellow colleague sums up the thoughts of many.
Childminding is about caring, nurturing & teaching little people in our homes & helping them on their learning pathway ❤️ first & foremost.

When one headline affects an entire profession... 💔

I saw this story today and, as a childminder, a Mother, and a human being, it was incredibly difficult to read. 😢

First and foremost, my thoughts are with the children and families involved. Parents hand us the most precious people in their lives. The trust involved in that is enormous, and it should never, ever be taken lightly.

Stories like this are devastating for the children and families involved, but they also inevitably leave thousands of dedicated childminders thinking: please don't let one person's actions define our profession!

For so many of us, this isn’t simply a job.

Our homes become children’s second homes. We know their favourite stories, what makes them belly-laugh, how they like to be comforted and when they’re unusually quiet and something isn’t quite right. We spend our evenings reflecting, training, planning and wondering whether we could do something even better. And underneath absolutely everything we do is safeguarding.

But I also think we have to be brave enough to talk about stories like this rather than simply distancing ourselves from them. Because this case raises difficult questions. 😳

The BBC reports that 27 children had been left unattended while she went out. Another particularly concerning part is that an earlier inspection had rated aspects of the provision “very good”.

That doesn’t mean inspection and regulation don’t matter… It means we should be willing to ask whether the systems designed to protect children can always see what happens between inspections. 🤔

Stories like this can understandably shake parents’ confidence in childcare, and that breaks my heart too. Because the childminding I know looks so very different.

It looks like homes filled with children who are known, loved and genuinely cared for. Practitioners who notice the tiny things. Who constantly reflect, train, question themselves and take seriously the enormous responsibility that comes with being entrusted with someone else’s child.

I am incredibly proud to be part of that profession. 🫶🏻

But being proud of our profession also means being willing to have uncomfortable conversations when something goes terribly wrong.

We shouldn’t need to defend good childminding by looking away from bad practice. We protect it by demanding better for children. Because ultimately, this isn’t about the reputation of childminders…

It’s about children. Their safety. Their wellbeing. And the trust their families place in us every single day. 💗

I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but this story has certainly left me with questions - particularly around how something on this scale can happen and what, if anything, needs to change to make it less likely to happen again.

I’d genuinely be interested to hear what other parents, childminders and early-years professionals think 💭

(Full article link in the comments) 🌈🫶🏻❤️

**EDIT - UPDATE - Since sharing this article, I've spoken privately with several parents affected by this case and have written an important follow-up reflection. Before commenting, I'd really encourage you to read it 🙏 Please remember that behind these headlines are real children and families ❤️**

06/10/2026

Stories open up opportunities for special moments together 🥰
Not just cuddles or snuggles together but chances to loose yourself in wonderful 📚stories ❤️ & understand new words & what they mean 🥰

06/10/2026

Mark making ✏️ can be in so many shapes or ways & at any age or stage.
From chalking to crayons to wipeboards to painting to name a few.
Every opportunity strengthens little hands 👋 & fingers in readiness for starting their writing journey ❤️

06/10/2026

Enjoying lots more of this ☀️ autumnal weather & grabbing as much garden time as we can ❤️

04/10/2026

One of our favourite topics this week - space 🚀
Lots to explore, look at & enjoy ❤️

04/10/2026

Using items that were going in the paper recycling bin 🗑️ we made autumn trees 🍁🍂.
The children chose colours ❤️💛🧡 that they felt were autumnal & got to work 🥰