To whom it may concern

 

Joanne Hague

 

My daughter, Alexa “Lexie” Steinhardt commenced care with Jo in February 2013- aged 5 ½ months.  At the time she started care, Lexie refused bottles altogether and Jo was fantastic from the outset at working with us to encourage her to take a bottle.  I was concerned about Lexie not being able to sleep in the main living area (she needed darkness and quiet) and, the next thing I knew, Jo had set up a cot in a different room and had the safety aspects approved by the council.  Given that Jo works from her own home, she is amazingly flexible in order to ensure that childrens’ needs are met.  She even used to sing the same song to Lexie at sleep time as we did.

 

Jo is a very loving person and Lexie has never cried at drop off time- despite being clingy in temperament.  Children naturally seem to feel comfortable with Jo.  My 5-year old son is also very happy at Jo’s during school holidays. 

 

Lexie was diagnosed with diabetes at 22 months of age.  Jo was extremely positive from the outset and determined to find a way to help us keep her in family daycare.  Jo helped us to navigate the bureaucracy of the council to get a diabetes management plan in place that we were all happy with.  Jo attended training with Lexie’s diabetic educator at the Royal Children’s’ Hospital and has managed Lexie’s diabetes very well from day one.   If anything, Lexie’s blood sugar levels are more stable in Jo’s care than when she is at home.  This is partly due to the fact that the routine is more stable (e.g. Jo is less likely to give her lunch late than we are at home if a shopping trip overruns etc!) and we pre-provide the correct amount of carbohydrates for each snack and meal time at Jo’s, whereas at home Lexie is more of a grazer.

 

We have always found Jo to be very communicative and reliable- she gives months of notice before taking holiday leave and communicates throughout the day regarding Lexie’s diabetes management.  If no-one is available to speak to or text with during the day (very rare), Jo follows the management plan and takes all of the right precautions.  Jo has learnt about Lexie’s diabetes alongside us, we talk regularly about her insulin doses and blood sugar readings and we feel that Lexie is in very safe hands.

 

My husband and I both have demanding professional jobs and no close family nearby so we are very grateful to Jo for the reliable care that she provides to Lexie.  Jo understands how difficult it would be for working parents to be left suddenly without care and she works hard to avoid that occurring. I would be happy to talk further if you have queries.

 

Yours faithfully

 

Janine