Kayleigh Completes Childcare Course

Kayleigh, a mum from Kingston, recently completed a Level 2 childcare course with support from Grow. After having her baby, she wanted to do something that would prepare her for the future and now she’s looking forward to continuing her learning and working towards a job that fits around her family life.

Kayleigh said: “I came across Grow when I went to my local Jobcentre. I’d just had my baby girl and getting back to work wasn’t on my mind at all. But when I saw the Grow leaflet, something about it really stood out. I decided to get in touch and signed up for a childcare course which is something I wouldn’t have even thought about doing otherwise.”

Kayleigh had previously worked in retail and volunteered at her children’s school. She had been about to start an apprenticeship before becoming pregnant and is now keen to find a job working in a school or with children. Her aim is to build a future career that fits around her children’s needs. Kayleigh has four older children who are at school, and she’s planning to return to work when her youngest starts nursery.

“I went for a coffee meeting with Iryna from Grow and straight away she helped me find a course that worked. I signed up to a Level 2 Caring for Children course through East London College. It was all online and I could do it at home, which made it possible with a new baby.”

Kayleigh hadn’t done any formal learning in years, but found the course structure manageable and useful.
“It was broken into four parts and I had a few weeks to complete each one. I worked on it for about an hour every other day when I could. I learnt a lot, especially things I didn’t get to learn while I was volunteering. Things like different types of play and how to understand dietary needs.”

Doing the course gave Kayleigh more than just knowledge, it gave her confidence.
“It helped keep my brain going and it felt really good to be doing something for me. I feel proud of myself. I’m not ready to go back to work just yet, but I want to build up a portfolio so when I am ready, I’m not starting from scratch.”

Since completing her childcare course, Kayleigh has signed up to further courses through Grow, including Children’s Mental Health and Understanding Autism, and hopes to go on to a Level 3 in the future.

“None of this would have happened if I hadn’t seen that leaflet. I wouldn’t have known where to start. Grow gave me the support to think about the future, even when I was still adjusting to life with a new baby.”