Nanny&Me

A live-in nanny is a great cost-effective option for families who require more flexibility (around the hours and type of support required). You need to be the type of family who is comfortable having someone come in and share your home (and if you’re like us, then this even excites you). Thinking about the type of set up you have in your home and what this would look like is a good idea. In our home, we have a basement suite that we used to rent out, so it already has a kitchen and bathroom which will provide a bit of privacy for us and our nanny. We will still be using the basement space, but for us, the idea of providing her with her own washroom seems like a win-win for everyone. People have live-in nannies in all sorts of homes…condos, mansions, little bungalows (that’s us), so it’s really about deciding whether or not it would be a good fit for your family. Check out my post 7 Reasons Why a Live-in Nanny is a Great Childcare Option which should provide you with more insight into the things you’ll want to give some thought to. When hiring a live-in nanny, most people go through the Live-in Caregiver Program as it is very difficult to find domestic live-in nannies (of course you want to try to find one, but my experience has been that there aren’t many!) When you sponsor a live-in nanny (see my post, A Bit About Sponsorship), there are some guidelines that you need to follow with regards to the set up in your room and salary. If you’re like us (very community-oriented) then a live-in nanny is a great way to bring that much more love into your child’s life and your home.

A live-out nanny is a great option for families who require a more set schedule like a M-F 9-5 work week. Live out nannies do cost more money as they are typically paid between $14-17/hour (vs. $11/hour for a live-in) and don’t require sponsorship through the Live-in Caregiver Program, but if you can afford it and you either don’t have the space for a live-in, or don’t feel that a live-in would be a good fit for you and your family, then a live-out is the way to go. Live-out nannies still provide a lot of the benefits of a live-in nanny (no pick ups/drop offs, 1:1 care etc…again check out my post (here). If you want to see a cost comparison of a live-in vs live-out nanny, I've drawn one up for you, just click here. 

A note on au pairs. An au pair is not to be confused with a nanny, they are not the same thing. Au Pair’s are typically younger people (18-24) on a cultural exchange. They will help look after your kids, expose them to a new culture, do some light cooking, and cleaning, in exchange for room & board, pocket money (stipend) and a family experience. It is not the same as hiring a nanny to look after your kids. There are guidelines and rules around how many hours the au pair can work each week. Au pair’s are a great option for families where one person works from home and needs some additional support during the day to get some work done. The big thing to consider here is that au pair’s are mostly in it for the cultural exposure and experience. This is not necessarily a bad thing; some families love this aspect of it, but other families aren’t comfortable with the fact that they don’t have all of the educational and work experience of a nanny. They will also be expecting a different relationship with your family than that of a nanny. While a nanny may or may not spend time with your family when they’re not working, an au pair will expect to be part of the family during their stay with you. I of course hope that people also welcome their nannies as part of their family, but there is a different relationship expectation with an au pair vs. a nanny.
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Whichever route you choose, do some homework. Think through what each option will look and feel like for your family, and the pros and cons of each option. Hopefully my blog will support you and provide the information needed to do so, and if you ever have any questions, just write to me. :-)

Related Posts:

A Bit About Sponsorship
7 Reasons Why a Live-in Nanny is a Great Childcare Option
The Live-in Caregiver Program 
Live-out vs. Live-in Nanny Cost Comparison
Agency...to Be or Not to Be