Dumped by aupair after a week. Advice on urgent childcare needed

[aarohee]

Dear All,
I have only just enrolled on mumsnet following high recommendation from a colleague who suggested that parents here are very helpful & provide sensible advice.
I seek advise on how best to recruit a reliable & affordable aupair quickly. I would also appreciate any recommendations as we are relatively new in London and do not have an extensive network of friends or family.
My parents were looking after by baby who is now 17months old until recently & since their return back to their home country India I had taken 2 weeks off to settle my baby into childcare.
My initial plan was to have an aupair look aftrr him half time & have him go to nursery the rest of the day.This was for 3 days a week when I attend work. However my 30 year old aupair said that she felt homesick after a weeks time, felt that she could not do justice to our baby & left. She did struggle to bond with our child.
I have made emergency childcare arrangements at the nursery but they only have full time slots for the next 2 weeks.

I am hence looking to recruit an aupair soon. I will appreciate advise/ recommendations -I am open to live in or live out aupairs and also welcome ideas on any alternative childcare oprtions I may not have explored. We are really struggling as I have now retuned to work after a long leave & my husband works full time too.

It might be best to look into a career nanny they should be professional and not leave you in the lurch. An traditional au pair should not be left in sole charge of a baby under two. Childcare.co.uk, nannyjob.co.uk should pull up a list of nannies searching for work in your area.

Yes you can't use an aupair as cheap childcare for sole charge of a baby. You need to employ a nanny and pay properly.

Ditto that an au pair is totally under qualified to care for under threes, you do need a nanny.
Au pairs rarely have all the uk first aid, training and experience of a nanny.
Why don't you look into a nanny share with a similar age child thus cutting your Childcare costs and your baby gets a little play mate?

Do you really want someone living at your home? Maybe a live-out nanny would be better, especially given age of your child.

Then you could not use the nursery at all.

Another option, find another nursery who can do full hours on the days you need.

Recruit another aupair but this time go for someone who is already in the UK and is looking for more responsibility. Caring for a toddler sole charge is a lot of responsibility as no parent at home to deal with any issues.

Yes, an au pair should not have sole charge of a child under two. Did you not know this?

You can't leave a 17 month old with an au pair!

Au pairs are for after school care with school aged children.

You need a nanny, full day nursery or a childminder.

2 weeks notice isn't much so you might have to make a wide search.

Most councils have a family information service where you can find lists of local childcare providers in your area.

What is your budget? A live-in nanny may be an option, will want a salary higher than an au-pair but may suit someone who wants to study an OU course and have some income, plus live in London.

You need something urgently, so look at only people who are already in London area. Advertise on as many places as you can find.

Gumtree.com
childcare.co.uk
Nannyjob.co.uk
Nappyvalley - if in the Dullwich area.

What about childminders? Are the hours you need care fitting between 8am-6pm? Some childminders will do earlier/later, so get the list from council and call them.

Thanks so much everyone for your advice. I did not know that aupair s are only for school going kids although I did have instinctive reservations about the idea of leaving my baby with one-but considered giving it a try as I kmow people who had successfully done it in the past.

I will look into nannys & nanny shares.

Have considered changing nurseries but settling in all over again seems like a hassle.

Thanks again!

What about Home from Home care with a Childminder? Home is supposed to be the best environment for children under 3 years old.

An aupair is really supposed to be a 'mother's help' and traditionally not to be left in sole charge of a baby, toddler or even preschooler. Still, I know many employers use them as a substitute nanny but they are not really paid enough, nor is the job worth it to them in terms of their C.V and references, for them to make long-term commitments. Au-pairs are good when you have school aged children who need a bit of looking after before/after school and the au-pair can spend a lot more time with their friends/at language courses during the day/evening. If I were you and needing reliable care outside of nursery hours, I would contact some good nanny agencies. Many neighbours with parents from India have them out here on six month rotations to help with childcare :)