We have a dilemma with our nanny and I'd appreciate others views who have more experience of childcare and nannies than me!
We hired our first nanny for our baby boy in March this year when our son was almost six months old. He seems very happy with her and its been going well. We proposed getting her Ofsted registered during her interview and she was keen on this. We paid for her first aid course (including paid salary for attending the course) and we were just on the verge of going ahead with the Ofsted registration when she dropped a bombshell. She's told us she doesn't have her accommodation sorted out (she's been sleeping on someone's sofa apparently) and may have to leave London so doesn't want to go ahead with the Ofsted registration. However, my husband has now committed to a year of vouchers as part of his benefits package and can't cancel it. Therefore we have a bit of a dilemma and I wondered what others would do. We were thinking of extending her contract from three days to four days a week soon anyway (which she was keen on) so we could just look for someone else who is Ofsted registered for one day a week. Alternatively we could put our son in a day nursery that takes vouchers for one day a week. Our final choice (I guess) is to give our nanny notice and find someone else who will take vouchers for the full 3 or four days a week contract. The last option seems pretty brutal but my concern is that our son is getting attached to the nanny and he is gradually moving into the age when separation anxiety becomes an issue (he now 9.5 months old). Up till now leaving him with our nanny in the mornings has been no problem at all as he knows her and has known her since he was very young. However, I'm worried that our nanny is going to string us along for a few more months and then leave when his separation anxiety is at a peak. We were clear during our interview process we wanted someone who would commit for a year and we do feel that she taken the job without any long term plans to live in London. Her host is getting fed up with her sleeping on the sofa and wants her out but she has now told us doesn't want to rent only live 'on the cheap' in London while she saves for a deposit to buy. She had originally told me she was staying with a friend until she found somewhere to rent (as she was new to London) so the story has changed somewhat. If she can't keep up the sofa arrangement (unlikely) then living with her family is what she wants to do. That means either persuading one family member to take her in in London (they currently won't commit to this but might in the future she thinks and this is what she seems to be holding out for) or she has to go back home to the North. The nanny moving in with us on a long-term basis isn't an option as we value our privacy and space too much to want a live-in nanny. What would you do in this situation - find another nanny now or let this carry on in case she gets her accommodation sorted out (which would be great if she did) and find another solution for spending the childcare vouchers on a fourth day? It would be great to hear views from everyone!