| More

Nanny GPS: Childcare options

When you start thinking about childcare, whether for a baby or an older child, you will need to start listing the most important aspects of childcare for your family. Deciding on childcare appropriate to your needs is a major decision for any parent. There are a number of factors that will make an impact on your final decision. These include:

Your child/children age/ages
Whether you need full or part-time care, weekend child care or a holiday nanny.
Whether you are looking for home based child care or family daycare.
The hours you need services (regular, daytime, evenings or weekends). Perhaps a nanny share will meet your needs.
Your budget. Are you looking for cheap child care? You need to work out what is afordable child care for your familiy?
Services available in your area.
Whether you need an occasional or permanent nanny.
Whether you need a professional nanny.
What type of caregiver is needed by your family.

The Nanny and the Au Pair offer home based child care services within a domestic setting. Following is a short definition of a Nanny and an Au pair.

The Nanny

A nanny is a childcare specialist. A nanny's workplace is in a family's private home and his/her job is providing one-on-one attention and the best possible care for the family's children. The work may be full-time or part-time, and the nanny may be a live in nanny or a live out nanny. The nanny's role is to provide support to the family by serving as a loving, nurturing and trustworthy companion to the children. Loving nannies can bring great comfort and companionship to the children in their care. A nanny tends to have special childcare skills and a deep love and understanding of children. A nanny offers the family convenient, flexible and high quality care to meet each child's physical, emotional, social and intellectual needs. A nanny is responsible for the complete care of their employer's children. A nanny duties include tending to each child's basic physical needs, meal planning and preparation, laundry and clothing care, organization of play activities and outings, providing behavioral guidelines and disciplining when appropriate, intellectual stimulation, language activities and provide transportation when required. The nanny housekeeper responsibilities are primarily child related. A nanny must be able to communicate well with both children and parents. (definition from the International Nanny Association)

A nanny makes a career out of childcare work and the family needs to pay taxes for the nanny as an employee. Nannies generally have childcare experience, possible nanny qualifications and nanny training. Nanny wages are determined by their experience and qualification. See nanny costs and nanny pay for more information on how much a nanny costs.

If you have a few children the nanny may well offer the best afordable child care option for your family.

Nanny search Find a nanny

Are you looking for able nannies to interview?

Are you looking for international nannies?

The Au Pair

An au pair (plural: au pairs) is a foreign-national domestic assistant working for, and living as part of, a host family. Typically, au pairs take on a share of the family's responsibility for childcare as well as some light housework. An au pair will typically be a young woman and sometimes a young man from a foreign country who chooses to help look after the children of a host family and provide light housekeeping. The au pair is given their own au pair room and board and is typically paid a weekly "pocket-money" salary. The au pair cost depends on the country you live in and their expected hours of work. Many are smart au pairs that come to live with families to learn a new language and experience life living in a different country.

An au pair is typically a young person between 18 - 26 years with basic childcare experience, coming to stay with a family for a cultural exchange/childcare work experience for an agreed period of time. The au pair is a very afordable chid care option for families. The au pair is normally live in and is a very good home based child care option if you have an extra room in your home. There are many au pair options as au pairs are very flexible as they can provide summer, holiday or weekend child care.

Au pair search Find au pair

Are you looking for aupair options?

Are you looking for smart au pairs?

Finding someone to share the care of your child is one of the most important steps you will take in your role as a parent or guardian. Taking time, being thorough and giving much thought to finding the right caregiver is essential.

Some tips before you start your caregiver search for an au pair or nanny.

Plan well ahead.
Take your time.
Make enquiries.
Check everything out, especially the au pair or nanny references for each potential candidate.
Be clear about what you want for your child and you.
Communicate your needs.

Steps to choosing a Childcare partner

Determine your priorities

You must develop a list of au pair or nanny interview questions to help you choose the best nanny or au pair for your family. What caregiver qualities are important to you? Flexibility - can the au pair or nanny provide weekend childcare? Enthusiasm? Independence - are able nannies or au pairs important to you? Loving - is finding a good loving nanny or au pair right for your family. Smart - do you want to find smart au pairs or nannies? A good sense of humor? Language learning opportunities for your children - are you looking for a French nanny or polish au pairs? Do you want someone young and energetic who actively plays with your children? Would you prefer an older nanny with more life experience?

How much caregiver experience and/or childcare training and education is important to you in the person who will care for your children? Do you want a nanny or au pair with recognised childcare accreditation? Be clear about what specific skills your caregiver must have. Do they need to be able to swim, drive a car, cook, help with homework, care for a premature infant, care for aspecial needs child? Should the nanny know first aid and CPR?

One person may not fulfill all of your criteria, but by considering your priorities, you will have an idea of the candidates best suited for your unique situation. POST your JOB online and use our questions to prompt you to develop your own priority list to help you employ a nanny or au pair that is right for your family.
Au Pair and Nanny Interview - interview all potential candidates

Have a list of au pair and nanny interview questions to ask and issues to discuss prepared beforehand. Talk with friends, other parents, about their experiences with nannies and au pairs to gather some more nanny interview questions suitable for your family.

Always check out at least two au pair or nanny references from the candidate and make personal contact with the referees.

Devise a selection process on which to base your decision.

Use our Short List Tools to manage your potential candidates, keep personal notes on the au pair or nanny candidates and use our secure messaging system to communicate with potential caregiver candidates without having to share your personal contact information.

When you have made your decision, use our short list tools to let those who were unsuccessful know. Simply decline interest in their profile from your short list.
When you have chosen your candidate

Agree Terms and Conditions.
Have a written nanny contract or working Agreement. The nanny contract should clearly outline all the nanny responsibilities and nanny services for your family. (same for au pair contract)
Share all relevant details about your child.
Agree Shared Care on Discipline, Health and Safety.
Establish a positive working relationship/partnership.
Be positive in your approach.
Communicate any concerns.

The nanny contact should also clearly outline the nanny wages and extra pay terms agreed. (same for au pair contract)

The nanny contact should also detail the nanny working hours. (same for au pair contract)