Childminder vs nanny share

[Bibblewanda]

My 11 month old is currently with a childminder (has been going for 6 weeks) and seems to be quite settled. She's a lovely lady with lots of experience. However she takes 5 weeks holiday so we have to take all ours at the same time which is a little annoying and doesn't leave us any days left for emergencies.

An opportunity has come up for us to have a nanny share with another family nearby who have one slightly younger baby.

I have limited experience of the childcare game and can't find much online - what are the pros and cons of nanny shares? How do they work? Are they better than a childminder? I feel like we're in a more precarious position with a nanny, is that right?

All experiences and thoughts welcome!

Hi, coming from the nannies perspective here.
Works great in my experience. I'm pretty much never off sick though. Haven't had a sick day in over a year. The babies have now grown up to be best buddies (more like siblings) if you get to know the other family well, then you could help each other out when nanny takes holiday/ is off sick. Your baby gets to be in their own home (other family too) you can choose some of your holidays.
Things to note, other family may have another child which may mean they want to leave the nanny share arrangement / lower days. Might have different parenting styles.

Can't really think of much else. Overall it works great but you have to make sure you're all on the same page and are maybe a little relaxed on some areas.

Thank you for your response. Yes my main concern is them having another baby. I'm younger than she is and in any case certainly won't have another for at least three years (if at all).

Also we have different hours (though the same days). We need 8-5 and they need 7-7.

If they are happy to pay the difference from 7-8 and 5-7 then it shouldn't be a problem.. do you live within walking distance of each other? We alternate between houses and the house we are at that day provides food .

Yes we're walking distance. They're right next to the station. We already agreed they'd "host" unless their little one was away or sick as we only have a 2 bed flat with no garden.

So we will have to pay extra based on that I suppose. Do nannies meal plan or do we do that too - I have no idea!

It varies really. I do a mixture of cooking/ they eat parents leftovers from the night before. There is a home childcare board on this website that you may want to post on. There's a fab nanny called nannynick who will be able to advise. In fact I think he even has a website!

Oh thank you - I might get this moved.

You're welcome. I hope it all works out! Nanny sharing can be great once it's all sorted.

Just to let everyone know that we're moving this to Home Childcare at the OP's request.

Are the other family looking for a share? Could you just use the nanny to cover the 5 weeks the CM is off ad sickness on anything else?

Yes they are also looking for a share I suspect mainly due to cost

I can live with the cms holidays they're just a bit annoying.

Nanny share can work out really well.
Mine started to get really complicate with who owed what so I got a work credit card from one family and the bill is but split in two. So I do all food shopping/ meal planning for children.
It was based and both houses but now based at one so the host family is paying slightly more for that convenience (as the house it's not hosted and now gets no further benefit of having a nanny, which I don't think is totally fare cause the heating has been on a lot! But they were happy with that.
When I have been off for family emergency they didn't get someone else in each parent just took a day off work so instead of one person taking a week off they took a day and looked after all the children which made it easier for their work.

we have in the contract if anyone is sick over the weekend, so would be sick on the Monday the healthy child gets the nanny so nanny, healthy child and two more parents doing get exposed. If a child gets sick say on a Wednesday we continue on with me looking after them as we think exposure has already happened.

Would need to discuss exquipment and who pays for it, if it's divided who gets to keep it if share ends or do you sell it and split cost.

Them having another child might just be a risk you have to take, just like nanny might have a baby too. one of my bosses has just had another and it hasn't changed things after maternity leave she will just come into the share full time.

Sorry forgot to say about different hours.
I've got a single family rate and a share rate in my contact as one family also wants an hour either side of what the other family wants. So when I have them all I get my share rate and when the 2 hours a day I just have one family it is a single rate paid for by that family.

What costs have you looked at so far?

You really need to get the costs right as you are not getting much of an advantage over what you get currently. There will be less children and you will have more control but it may cost you more than you currently pay, so you need consider the benefits v cost.

As the other family would be hosting then your percentage of the cost may be higher than theirs. They will have a lot higher cost for the sole care hours they need - you will generally agree a sole care rate and a shared care rate.

Your nanny will want holiday and you and the other family will need to coordinate that. One way is that nanny chooses 2 weeks and each family chooses 1 week, so nanny gets 4 weeks in total, then all bank holidays the nanny also gets off. This assumes a 5 day M-F working week.

With regard to holidays, I don't think it would be much easier with a nanny tbh. She would still be entitled to holidays and this would be harder to plan with their being two families involved. I'm not sure how that works, do both families have holidays at the same time? What if one family is away and gives holiday to nanny but the other family needs you to work?
I would think the benefits of having a nanny would mean I would want the nanny working from my house, if she were working from somewhere else a lot of the benefit is lost and you might be better sticking with the childminder. (Benefits I am thinking of are children's laundry/beds changed/shopping delivered/not having to have child up and dressed in the morning/child ready for if working late).
I've never worked as part of a nannyshare though so maybe the lesser cost makes these things unimportant.

maryann with regards to holiday nanny generally chooses two weeks and families choose one week each so family A might choose first week of March family be also have to go away or find other care or nanny would never get full holiday.

We're in a nanny share, and have found it absolutely fantastic.

Advantages over a childminder:

1. A really lovely close relationship between your child and their carer (I know a childminder also has a strong relationship with her mindees, but the relationship with a nanny is really very special)
2. A close relationship (almost sibling/cousin) between your child and the other child
3. Mutual support between the parents (sharing cover of time off when necessary as above, and simply other people in the same boat)
4. MUCH more flexibility when needed over things like taking your child to the doctors, caring for a sick child (depending on what you agree with the other family)
5. Generally more control over what happens, eg somone being in the house if needed for workmen/parcels; quiet days at home if your child is tired; anything else really!

Downsides:

1. You're reliant on one carer, and if they're ill that will impact you. Could be the same for a childminder though unless they have an assistant
2. Not really a disadvantage, but I think it helps if both families (and the nanny) have fairly similar ideas and are generally flexible and committed to finding solutions to suit everyone (over X many years, unexpected issues will naturally come up)

Holiday isn't really an issue. You divide it between you, ie each family/nanny gets to choose so many days. The days chosen are off for everyone. If a family wants to take extra holiday, then they obviously can but still pay as if they were there.

I would totally recommend it!

Actually, in fairness the other disadvantages of having a nanny are:

1. You have to interview/select someone, and have the administration of employing someone, doing payroll (use a payroll company), and soon the pension enrollment
2. You have responsibilities as an employer for maternity, sickness which you wouldn't with a childminder

If I were you I'd stay put with the childminder if you are happy. With a nanny share:

• I'd be astonished if it wasn't more expensive once all tax, heating, food, clubs expenses are factored in
• it isn't in your house so you still have the hassle of getting your LO out of the house in the morning
• it will be pretty high risk it breaks down due to pregnancy or change of jobs
• you have the employment risk ( which is non-trivial- I've had a nanny in LT sick in the past)

Your kid is happy? Why upset things?

I would think a lot depends on who the nanny is. Do you like to her/warm to her/trust her? I would prefer a nanny to a childminder generally because your child avoids doing loads of activities such as school run for the other older children. The focus can just be on them and age appropriate activities. Also, of course it depends on the person, but I have found some childminders a bit world weary and functional. Whereas a lot of nanny's seem to be more fresh and enthusiastic. Im aware that this is my view, based on limited data points!

Hi there
What is the going rate for a nanny share in North London? For one day a week the nanny will be looking after 2 kids from 9-3.15pm (age 1 and 2.5) and then after school will have 3 more kids. For most of the time it will be just the two, but obviously 5 is quite a lot after school (they will be based at one of our homes). Please make it clear if you mean gross or net rate!
Thanks!

Strawberrybubblegum Tue 31-Jan-17 23:12:02

"We're in a nanny share, and have found it absolutely fantastic.

Advantages over a childminder:

1. A really lovely close relationship between your child and their carer (I know a childminder also has a strong relationship with her mindees, but the relationship with a nanny is really very special)
2. A close relationship (almost sibling/cousin) between your child and the other child
3. Mutual support between the parents (sharing cover of time off when necessary as above, and simply other people in the same boat)
4. MUCH more flexibility when needed over things like taking your child to the doctors, caring for a sick child (depending on what you agree with the other family)
5. Generally more control over what happens, eg somone being in the house if needed for workmen/parcels; quiet days at home if your child is tired; anything else really!

Downsides:

1. You're reliant on one carer, and if they're ill that will impact you. Could be the same for a childminder though unless they have an assistant
2. Not really a disadvantage, but I think it helps if both families (and the nanny) have fairly similar ideas and are generally flexible and committed to finding solutions to suit everyone (over X many years, unexpected issues will naturally come up)

Holiday isn't really an issue. You divide it between you, ie each family/nanny gets to choose so many days. The days chosen are off for everyone. If a family wants to take extra holiday, then they obviously can but still pay as if they were there.

re your comments above -

A really close relationship - yes cm's have that too - god mother to 3 since caring for family. Still see the 25 year olds and have there baby's, supported through traumatic event such as bereavement and cancer. Parents typically stay and chat at least once a week and many old parents come back to visit, I've worked with many of the children well into senior school - one is returning for work experience with me.

Close relationship between children - my daughter is best friends with an ex-minded that attended from a few months old, they are both 22 now. The minds attend each others parties go on play dates, start school together etc.

Parents support each other often doing any extra care on days I'm not contracted to work, taking children home if parents are ill, sharing my holiday between them, car shares once lo goes to senior school. And most recently chemo buddies and cooking for the family of the patient.

flexibility - no childcare provider who is registered can care for sick children (what parent would want to not be with them?) as it puts the risk of infection being passed on up and is against the safeguarding regulations. But trips to health visitors, dentists and GP's can be done by cm's again though most parents want to take children for treatment but I've done it especially when parents have fears they don't want passed on.

Control over what goes on - no a cm wont do your house work or be in for workmen and you cant dictate what they do with all children as they have to meet the needs of all, but they will work with you as much as practicable.

Cm's are all regulated and checked, many if not most are qualified to level 3 and above with a growing number having degrees and early years teaching status.

You don't pay a cm's pension, NI, or maternity/ sick pay and in many cases you don't pay their holiday. The hourly rate for 1 child is cheaper than nannies normal fees.

re the 5 weeks holiday, you may find that some of this is at a time when your always off too, For example I always take Christmas off. Many parents take some holiday separately so that they also have some spare for other things so this might be worth thinking about.
Often cm's book holiday for the year in January and many will discuss best and worst times for parents. I always ask my clients when they are thinking of holidays, and we try to work together to book them.