Is it OK for your au-pair to bring baby to nursery?

[Sotrelle1983]

We are both working long hours and with the commute we would struggle with the nursery time. Is it fair and fine to ask the au-pair to bring a baby to nursery and pick it up in the evening - she would be in charge for 30 minutes…? Websites say they should not be alone with baby so really wondering

I think this is fine. Our next door neighbour does this with their au pair.

There'll be someone here who knows more about this than I do....but I ink the "not left alone" thing is a reminder that they are there to help you, rather than to be a cheap substitute for a qualified nanny. So I would think what you suggest is absolutely fine and quite in the spirit of what you'd ask an au pair to help you with.

The advice given are that a typical au pair is a young girl limited experience/English. So most are used for older children for wrap
Around care so they have time to fit in studying English. So for that very reasons it's suggested that they shouldn't have long sole Charge periods of babies/pre schoolers. But if you are using the au pair for wrap around Care then there shouldn't be any issues if it is for small amounts of time, like you stated.

If you view them to be responsible enough then yes. They will need to have sufficient English language to communicate effectively with nursery staff, so they can do the handover.

Of course it's fine if you chose your au-pair carefully. You will find that au pairs could be anyone, and work with very different families. My sister (3 children) leaves the house to go to the gym for 2 or 3 hours every morning. If the baby sleeps, the au-pair does chores, if the baby wakes up, the au-pair takes care of him. Absolutely no difference with employing a baby sitter.

I would pay for a few hours of driving lessons, to ensure the au pair is comfortable with driving on the left.

You are allowed to do this, yes.

They are no supposed to have "continuous sole care" of children under 2, but even this is just a recommendation and/or the stipulation of a particular agency (or, you could argue, common sense).

Nursery pick ups and drop offs are fine, with a short amount of sole care either side, like the 30 minutes you suggest.

THats fine. The whole sole charge is mainly that most au pairs couldn't cope with say 6hrs + hours a day with an under 3. Some people try an use an au pair as a cheap nanny so could be leaving 6 month old with them 7am-7pm.
But taking them to and from nursery and keeping them safe at home an hour is fine.

How will you develop a relationship with the staff in the nursery who will be caring for your baby?

Insancerre what a comment I never really dropped or picked up my little boy fore nursery and it was fine

Insacarre - are you supposed to delevop relationship? I always just dropped them off and go, no chatting about the weekend.

Why on earth do you need a relationship with nursery staff??

Because they are caring for your baby?
Do you not think it's important that you know the people who have your child for 10 hours a day?