Finding the perfect nanny is a huge choice for any parent. You want your child to be safe, looked after and happy. Taking on home-based child care such as nanny services is a really big decision. Families opt to use nanny services for many different reasons. Perhaps you have more than one child and simply don’t have enough hands to get everything done, or you and your partner need to remain career focused and you want to keep your childs home routine having someone living with you who the children can trust and get to know.
There are lots of different types of childcare options which are home-based, which is really great for parents as it means you can choose a job role to suit your personal situation. Home-based child care includes (but is not limited to);
Nannies
Nannies come in two forms – live-in nannies and daily nannies. Live-in nannies stay with your family at your house. The amount you provide them with depends on the contract agreed, but generally you will be expected to provide them with their own room and food on top of their monthly wages. Many people opt for this choice because it means the children can really get to know the person caring for them. Daily nannies come over to your house at an agreed time every day and look after your child while you are out or at work, or whilst you get on with other projects you need to tend to. Nannies whether they are independent or from a London nanny agency, are different to babysitters because they tend to come to your home every day, whereas babysitters are generally used every now and then. There is also something called a nanny-share which is where you share your nanny with one or more families. If the nanny works for more than three families at a time they should be legally registered as a childminder.
Mothers Helps
A mothers helps will come to your home and work with you, rather than caring for the children while you’re not there. They will help you look after the children and the house. Mothers helps are ideal for new Mums needing an extra pair of hands to help whilst still wanting to maintain constant contact with the children.
Maternity Nurses
Maternity nurses look after babies for up to three months after they are born. Maternity nurses are often experienced and medically trained and tend to live at your house with you, but can sometimes be employed during the day or night as extra help in the first few months of parenthood.
Au Pairs
Generally an au pair is someone who has come from another country to study English, looking to also gain free board in return for looking after the children in the household. They also benefit from being around English speaking families which helps their language learning. Au pairs will generally be expected to work for around 4-5 hours a day, have two days off out of every seven, and be given food, a private room and an additional payment per week. Au pairs are generally not trained to work with children, which is why they often aren’t hired to look after children whilst the parents are at work. However, some are trained in childcare so the job role is changeable and adaptable depending on the needs of the parent.
Personal Assistants
A PA is generally not hired to help a person look after their children, however, in some instances this may be an acceptable part of the job role. For example; if a disabled person needs help around the house, the PA may also take on some childcare responsibilities as well as other tasks as part of their overall job role.
Other Types Of Childcare
Other types of childcare are babysitters who come to your home occasionally to look after the children for an evening, or childminders who are not based in your home and look after several children at a time.
Using a childcare agency or nanny agency is always a good idea if you are unsure how to find a suitable person to look after your children. These agencies will vet the employees they have on their books to ensure they are qualified and safe to work with children, which provides great peace of mind.