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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

Advice requested on Au Pairs

21 replies

firsttimerSW11 · 28/04/2014 20:58

Hi everyone, I wonder can anyone help me. I have to go back to work in a months time and I have a 5 month old daughter. The problem I have is that I have an hour between the time when I need to leave to go to work (6.30am) and my nursery open (7.30am), 5 days a week. All other options (so no advice required here) having been explored, I may well have to hire an Au Pair to cover the time. However I've heard that it's against the law to have an Au Pair in sole charge of an under one year old. Does anyone know if this is true?

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Johnogroats · 28/04/2014 21:04

I am not sure if it is technically against the law, but APs should not have sole charge of a child under 3. When we first had APs DS2 was about 15 months old, and the AP took him and brother to nursery. It is a lot to ask if a youngish person. I don't think you'll get many advocating an AP as a solution when the child is just 6 months.

Unexpected · 28/04/2014 21:05

It is generally advised that au pairs should not be left in sole charge of under two year olds. Five months is really a very young age to leave with someone who may have little or no previous childcare experience. Also, presumably if you have childcare cover at home, your dd will not absolutely have to be at nursery at 7.30 and could go later? What time will you be collecting her from the nursery in the evening?

I know you said there were no other options but if you have money for nursery and an au pair (and presumably space as the au pair will be living with you) would you not prefer to have a live-in nanny who will have the experience to look after you dd in your own home. She would also be able to care for your dd for full days when she picks up the (inevitable) nursery bugs and illnesses, which an aupair really should not be doing for that length of time.

I assume your partner, if there is one, is not in a position to do some of the dropping off?

Shreddiez · 28/04/2014 22:05

Its not illegal. Its just not advised. We've used an au pair to care for our under 1 and so have friends. Its worked fine. There are many au pairs with experience of babies.

Nobody would bat an eyelid at you using a 20 year old to babysit and so I don't get the fuss re one hour of care each morning.

blueshoes · 28/04/2014 22:37

I used an aupair for wraparound ft nursery when ds was 11 months old. She had sole charge for an hour or so. It worked very well. She was a sensible German girl.

I'd say have your aupair start 3 weeks earlier and have her shadow you the whole time. Observe her with the baby. You will get a feel for whether you can trust her very soon. Look for an aupair with experience with babies.

OutragedFromLeeds · 28/04/2014 22:47

It's not illegal. It's up to you to judge who leave your baby with. I'd go for an older au pair, with baby experience.

I would look into a live-in nanny though. Long days in a nursery is not ideal for a small baby.

mrswishywashy · 29/04/2014 00:23

Not illegal at all just not advised. You could also look into a student or nursery nurse if it's just for that hour in the morning. If you've got the space for a live in then having a student or nursery nurse to cover you opens up more options.

eeyore12 · 29/04/2014 08:09

I know you say you have looked at other options but I am a nanny and I used to do just what you are looking for. I would stay over the night before they needed me to cover the before nursery time and then get baby up and drop to nursery when it opened and then go onto my main day nanny job, as it happened I finished in time to collect baby too as the parents didn't get home till just after it closed so saved them worrying about getting there in time.

They only needed someone a few days a week so worked well for everyone, they did then get an au pair to do the same as I was only filling in till they found the right au pair for them.

Maybe an option you hadn't thought of. Good luck

NomDeClavier · 29/04/2014 08:35

You could do it but it won't be an attractive job to be brutally honest. Why not a live in nanny and advertise for another family to share with to keep the cost down? Or a CM who offers early starts?

Are you back in time to pick up from nursery?

Shreddiez · 29/04/2014 09:32

I think it would be a VERY attractive job. A London house, five hours care a week.

My latest Au Pair World ad attracted over 250 applications in 48 hours for a London based position but that was 25 hours a week for three kids including a baby (although only occasional care of the baby). I had responses from qualified nurses, teachers...

whatcolour · 29/04/2014 09:42

I was an au pair at 21 for 2 under 2. I knew loads the same. We all did child first aid training via agency but the rest was just a case of working closely with the parents.

NomDeClavier · 29/04/2014 12:11

Up at 6.30 every morning so essentially no going out during the week? I doubt it! And if I were the OP I would resent paying £70+ in addition to food and board for 5 hours plus nursery fees.

People who become au pairs either want to improve their language which means they want school aged children or parents who are prepared to do that, or they want to work up to being a nanny and 5 hours work a week is in no way going to be a sufficient reference for a nanny role.

You don't want an au pair to get bored and run off. It sounds great but when you're doing it then it probably isn't. There will be a perception if not being needed.

Another thought OP, would the nursery allow you to offer a couple of the nursery nurses the job? They usually have clauses about poaching but you will still be using the nursery and those clause are to prevent them losing staff.

Mim78 · 30/04/2014 12:45

Where did people find these au pairs who will care for a baby of 6 months or so?

All agencies seem to say 2 years plus.

blueshoes · 30/04/2014 12:52

Mim78: www.aupair-world.co.uk

Nom, my aupairs wake up at 7am, so 6.30am is not that much earlier. Most, even the sociable ones, don't tend to go out on Mon-Thurs weekdays. With the EU, the profile of the aupair has changed quite a bit. I have not had an aupair who wanted to attend English classes for many years now. Some were content to drift along for months, up to two years, as they decided what they wanted to do in their next stage of life.

I have no problems fielding hundreds of applications for my aupair position on aupair-world. But then again, it is easy to find aupairs if you live in London.

Mim78 · 30/04/2014 14:50

Thanks!

clareysage · 01/05/2014 14:21

Blueshoes - what do your au pairs do during the day? I am a bit worried about au pairs that don't want to study because of the implications for us with HMRC if they take a job during the day.

RTchoke · 02/05/2014 06:58

Clarey, ask then at interview whether they intend to work and put a prohibitive clause in the contract. I'm my experience they want to spend their days sightseeing/hanging out with friends/on social media. Ours works 7-9am then 3.30-6 and another job has never even been mentioned. Also I need her as back-up in case of illness etc so it wouldn't work for me if she wished to take another job.

blueshoes · 02/05/2014 09:52

Clarey, I am not in during the day so cannot really say what they do. After they finished cleaning and before the school run (which is around 4 hours), they might sleep, go on the computer, text, watch TV/DVD, meet friends, go out walking ... Only one of my many aupairs got a second job and it was minding a stall on a weekend but that was only for a short time. I imagine it was cash-in-hand.

icanneverremember · 04/05/2014 08:31

It's nonsense to say all APs want XY or Z. We have just started with our second AP. We had hundreds of applications through AP World despite being an hour outside of London. The quality of the applications were extremely high with people who had a vast and broad range of experiences. Our last AP was a special needs teacher and I have received applications from nurses and speech therapists.
Each AP has their own personal reason for applying for the position and you would certainly be able to find someone for whom the offered hours would be perfect.
I personally know people with many childcare qualifications who I wouldn't leave my two year old with. I also now many people without childcare qualifications who are fantastic with children of every age, even young babies. It's a judgement call so just go with your instincts! Good luck

toomuchcoffeetoomuchwine · 04/05/2014 08:41

The agency I used advised me that an au pair should not be left in sole charge of a kid under 2 for more than an hour. So nap times, pick ups, drop-offs all ok. I always respected this guidance and the au pairs were happy. A happy au pair is an au pair that stays.

Artandco · 04/05/2014 08:52

I would def look for a live in nanny instead of nursery and au pair.

At a very guess nursery is say £50 a day, £250 a week.

Au pair -£80 a week, plus food/ board/ extra stuff say £20. So £100 a week.

That's min £350 a week. And that's guessing nursery is that low, if in London it's more like £70-100 a day. There will be many first time nannies who £300 a week is a good price for. Obv they live in so no rent to pay etc. in London it's maybe £350-400 but £400 a week would get you an experienced live in nanny, so like I said find someone new to the job and it will be cheaper if needed.

That way at 6.30am you can leave and nanny can be in charge but baby can stay in bed if still asleep etc. also baby then has own things at home, day tailored to them ie nanny can take swimming/ to baby groups to meet other children etc, and in the evening baby will be fed, and can be bathed/ in bed on those days you are home late.

LadyHarrietdeSpook · 04/05/2014 10:04

The agency's motivation for saying that will also partially be placing a much more expensive nanny with you.

If you had a 20 yr old sister would you leave your baby with her for a couple of hours a day even if she wasn't a child care expert? Depends on what she's like- same with an au pair.

I wouldn't do it all day- you do need someone who is dedicated and motivated to do that. But for a couple if hours possibly.

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