Ok I will retract and rephrase my whole peanuts/monkeys theorum: (apologies to Eleusis I know this is an issue she feels very strongly about )
Ok here goes..... (sorry it's a long one)...
In my humble opinion anyone in ANY career deserves a wage that reflects their qualifications/experience. In the childcare arena there are several rungs to the ladder and each one has a different job description regarding duties/expectation. As a result the pay bracket for each rung is understandably different. The lower 3 rungs of the ladder are occupied by au pairs, mothers helps and newly qualified nannies. Each of those is expected to fulfil different needs of families. So it makes sense that au pairs, who are SUPPOSED to be here on a cultural exchange and help out, in return get bed and board and reasonable pocket money (60 is the minimum for a 25 hour week in London). However we all know this system is grossly abused in the sense that many parents are choosing this option as a CHEAPER alternative to childcare which they really need to meet their needs. If parents choose this option for motives that are not pure, so to speak, then quite frankly they have no rights to complain about the quality of care the au pair provides. The au pair is not a nanny. The au pair is not being paid as a nanny. The au pairs job description should not even come close to ressembling that of a nanny. She (or he) is in your family home as a cultural exchange and extra pair of hands, nothing more should be asked or expected of her (him).
A mothers help has a little more responsibility, including limited sole charge. However most of her duties are carried out alongside the mother, and can include domestic chores. Her role is more of an assistant, although she will have more experience than an au pair and may be working towards becoming a nanny. As a result her pay should reflect this, and should be in the region of 100-300/week depending on her hours and whether she is live in/out and whether the job is in London.
The next rung is a newly qualified nanny. She will have all the theory down pat, and may have some good experience too. Her hours and duties are negotiable with the family and the market rate for London seems to be 200-300/week live in and 300-400/week live out. Outside London it varies, but is often up to 25% lower than London wages.
The next few rungs of the ladder are taken up by nannies who gain more and more years of experience. Their duties/hours may not always change, but it is reasonable for a nanny to get a 3-5% raise after each year of service. I know nannies with 2 years post-qualifying experience who receive 400/week live in. I also know unqualified nannies with over 15yrs experience who get 600 week live out. I feel there is a limit in London as to how high nanny pay will and can go. The market rate is fairly stable at 350/week live in on average and 450-500/week live out. Some families can afford to pay more, and do. Some families cannot afford to pay that and adjust their expectations and needs accordingly.
My bugbear is when a family employs an au pair and then expects them to work 50 hours a week sole charge of babies, or 3 under 5 year olds. Families are responsible for determining their needs and then hiring accordingly. If they take advantage of cheaper forms of childcare they then run the risk of not only being dissatisfied with that childcarer, but also getting into potentially dangerous or neglectful situations.
HOWEVER, it is perfectly possible to find a kind, competent au pair/mothers help/starter nanny who not only excels in meeting the needs of their family/employer, but also proves through their work that they deserve to be an exception to the rule and receive a higher than typical pay. And remember not all nannies are good nannies, just as not all au pairs are bad au pairs.
in the end its horses for courses. If a family wants a professional nanny they have to not only seek one out, they have to pay for it. If they want a newbie nanny, and realise that she may have less experience but are happy to give her a chance (cos everyone has to start somewhere) then thats fabulous too. If they want a helping hand, and someone to chat to the kids in French, then an au pair is perfect for them.
Families are responsible for seeking the right kind of person to meet their families needs. If they cut corners then whose to blame? And on the same note, if a childcarer bites off more than they can chew (ie deliberately accepts a job that will end up in her being overworked/underpaid/she or he is totally inexperienced and unsuitable for) then she or he really needs to re-evaluate what their abilities are and apply only to jobs that they can actually do. Employer or employee, we are all accountable and we are all responsible for ourselves.