There are various options open for parents needing someone to care for their children while they work, the decision will have to be made wisely as your child will be with your chosen carer for many hours a day every day of the week so it is essential that you have peace of mind they are safe and well looked after as well as receiving the stimulation needed for learning and development in the early years. Listed below is a comprehensive guide to the different types of care that is offered:

A Nanny

Nannies will care for your children in your own home and often form a close bond with your child or children because of this; a nanny has to be registered as a child minder with local authorities.

The nanny will provide your child with activities during the day depending on the age of the child and may also perform some light duties around the home such as cleaning the child’s room; the nanny will also assist in the social development of your child.

There are several nanny agencies that will take your needs and the age of your children into account and pair up suitable candidates which you can then interview in your home; this is often the best way of choosing a nanny.

After school clubs

Many schools now offer an after school club to provide your child with care in between leaving school and you returning home from work, activities will be made available for your child and they will have the option of purchasing snacks and drinks.

Some day care centers offer after school care and some have a separate facility from the main day care center specially providing activities and snacks for your child.

An Au-pair

Au-pairs are usually young and often do not have any qualifications in child care as such, they will live in your home and provide care for your child as well as performing household duties, they will essentially take care of the home for you while you are working often performing shopping, cooking and cleaning duties.

Child day care centers

Day care centers can be an expensive form of child care especially if you live in a big city, staff at the centers will hold certificates in child caring on various levels and will have been trained in dealing with problem children and children with special needs.

Care centers will provide meals and activities for your child based on age and some centers have after school care programs suitable for older children. Children can benefit from attending a day care centers, mixing socially with other children the same age but are more at risk of catching childhood illnesses from mixing.

Child minders

A child minder has to be registered to provide care for children and babies, a child minder will generally look after children in their own home and an inspection will have been made into the suitability of the home beforehand.

All child minders will have had a criminal record check made to rule out any criminal activity and they will have attended a registration course and first aid course. They will be up to date on topics such as child nutrition, health and safety and food hygiene.

Family members or friends

This option is particularly appealing as you know your child will be safe with relatives, also your child won’t have problems when you leave because they know the person they are with. Family members are usually more flexible than nannies and make an excellent choice for after school arraignments for your child.

Having decided that the best choice for day care for your child is within the home then your next choice will be what type of home care provider you require, there are basically two choices – a nanny or a live in nanny who is labeled as an au-pair. The option you decide to take will depend on your circumstances, the hours which you will need care for your child, the flexibility of your working hours and if you need additional help around the home.

Whichever option you choose to go with there are several things you should consider and questions you will have for the people you will interview. It will be useful also if you made a list for yourself regarding qualities to look for, such as experience, any religious or cultural beliefs the person may have as these could be passed onto your child through spending hours together and also the flexibility of the person.

You will also have to make the choice of advertising for a nanny or Au-pair yourself or going through an agency. By going through an agency you will have the reassurance that the person will have had a criminal background check made and the nanny is registered as a child minder.

If you choose to advertise yourself then you will have to make your own arraignments for a criminal background check, it is also recommended that you interview any candidates that look promising twice before making the final choice.

Questions to ask candidates

• What qualifications they have if any and how many years have they been in the child care profession?
• Why they are interested in working in child care?
• Do they have any family of their own?
• Ask for references from their last jobs and check the references.
• What their policy is regarding discipline of children?
• Offer scenarios such as, what they would do if the child threw a tantrum, or if a child hits another child, or won’t do as they are told and study the candidates’ answers.
• Ask what they can provide to stimulate your child’s development.
• Ask what activities the carer would provide your child with during the day * Ask about any first aid training they have taken.
• Ask them how they would handle any anxiety to your child caused by the separation.

A Nanny or Au-pair what is the difference?

An Au-pair will live in the family home and become a member of the family, they will as part of their job assist in light duties around the home such as ironing, dusting, vacuuming and sometimes shopping. Very often an Au-pair will be working far away from home as a cultural learning experience, as such many of them are only young and do not have any child care qualifications other than general common sense.

A nanny will usually live outside the home and work a set amount of hours which should be discussed beforehand, they are generally not as flexible as an Au-pair and most will only take care of your child and house work is not done. Nannies, especially those sent through agencies, will usually have had some training in child care and will have at least the minimal qualifications. They will also have passes a screening test.

Draw up a contract

Once you have hired a care giver for your child it is important that you draw up a working agreement or contract, this is for the benefit of both of you and you should outline duties, hours, salary, vacation time, sick leave and any obligations. A review date should be set for a few months which will give you both the chance to discuss how the arraignment is working out and to help iron out any little problems.

Warning signs to look for

Whoever you choose to take care of your child in your absence whether it be a nanny from an agency or an au-pair you chose yourself, there are no absolute guarantees and you should be vigilant at all times. Signs that something could be wrong are:

• Money goes missing or valuables which could indicate theft.
• You find your child alone unsupervised.
• The care giver does not bond with your child or vice-versa.
• Your child becomes agitated showing signs of problems sleeping and eating, or becomes suddenly withdrawn.
• You notice marks on your child which can’t be explained easily or happen frequently.