For most working parents, leaving your baby with a trusted childminder is a leap of faith.
But for a few unsuspecting families in Greater Manchester, that trust was badly shattered when it turned out their registered childminder had been leaving babies home alone while running errands.
Andrea Ward, a 62-year-old with nearly 30 years of experience, stunned a courtroom and a community when it was revealed she had repeatedly left young children—including a five-month-old baby—unattended while she took older kids to school.
And yet, despite the shocking details, she walked free from court.
The Shocking Discovery No Parent Ever Wants
It all started to unravel when the mother of a five-month-old boy happened to catch sight of Ward returning from the school run—without her baby.
Alarmed, she asked Ward where he was.
Ward tried to cover up, claiming the baby was safe at home with her daughter.
But the mother wasn’t buying it.
Deeply concerned, she insisted on returning to the house with Ward.
There, she found the child left alone, strapped in a car seat in the living room.
Ward’s daughter was nowhere in sight.
First, Ward claimed her daughter was “in the shower.”
Eventually, she admitted the painful truth: the baby had been left alone while she dropped other children off at school.
It Wasn’t a One-Off, and It Wasn’t Just One Child
Initially, Ward tried to convince police it had only happened once.
But during the investigation, she admitted she’d left other children—aged just eight and sixteen months—alone as well.
Sometimes they were strapped into buggies or high chairs for up to half an hour while she was out.
To make matters worse, she had destroyed the very records that could have provided insight into her movements and care patterns, making it harder for authorities to assess how often she had done this.
Parents Speak Out: “She Put Money Before Our Children”
The emotional toll on the families was evident in court.
The father of the five-month-old called the experience “every parent’s nightmare.”
Another mother said her child now suffers from separation anxiety, terrified of being left alone. T
he overarching message from all the parents was clear: Ward had prioritized money over safety, and they felt utterly betrayed.
“She was selfish and put financial gain ahead of responsibility,” one mother said.
The Legal Outcome and What the Judge Had to Say
Ward pleaded guilty to three counts of child neglect spanning from February 2022 to January 2024.
Her defense lawyer told the court she was remorseful and had already quit working with children.
He said she was “ashamed” and knew she had “betrayed the trust” of the families she served.
Judge Jason Macadam didn’t hold back in his remarks.
He told Ward she had “calculatedly risked children’s welfare” and only came clean after being caught.
He criticized her for initially trying to make herself out as the victim and not fully owning up to the extent of her actions.
Despite all this, Ward was spared prison.
She received a 12-month sentence, suspended for two years, and was ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work along with £150 in costs.
A System Under Scrutiny
As the dust settles, serious questions remain—how did this go unnoticed for so long, and why didn’t Ofsted intervene earlier?
Parents are now left wondering if the system they trusted with their children’s lives is truly built to protect them.
For those affected, healing will take time.
And for Andrea Ward, the shadow of this betrayal will likely follow her for years to come.