au Pair Me up
Family Friendly Childcare
Children come in many different shapes and sizes - now your childcare does too!
NANNY
A nanny is like a babysitter who you employ on a fixed, regular basis to care for your children in your own home. They are similar to an au pair, except that they do not live with you. Some nannies choose nannying as a professional career. As such, some nannies will prefer to focus on the childcare aspect rather than additional house duties.
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​​​​​​​In essence, a nanny is a specialist in-home child carer that lives at their own premises.
HOW IT WORKS
The typical duties of a nanny can include:​
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Arriving at your home at the specified time
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Getting your children up, dressing and bathing them
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Preparing meals for the children and feeding them
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Taking children to and from school / childcare or other activities
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Looking after and playing with the children as required
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Taking your children on outings such as to the park, museum, movies or beach according to your wishes
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Assisting with some occasional light housework if agreed to by the nanny
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Helping children with their homework
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Preparing craft / developmentally appropriate activities for your kids.
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The beauty of having a nanny is that you can direct them to care for your children in whatever way you prefer with regards to your values, routines and the needs of your children.​ Not all families require all of the duties required above. It is important that you make your expectations clear to us at Au Pair Me Up so that we can present the right candidates to you.
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The hours that you require your nanny to work are entirely up to you, provided, of course, that it is not excessive or unreasonable (say above 45 hours per week). It is ok to require flexibility from your nanny depending on your requirements, but this must be stipulated to them as an expectation during the interview process. Some families, for instance, advise the nanny that they would occasionally like the nanny to work on a Friday or Saturday night in addition to the normal hours. Other families require only before-and-after school care during the school term, but full-time hours during school hoidays. The flexibility that nannies can provide means that the needs of virtually any family can be catered for. ​
Au Pair Me Up's nannies cost from $22 per hour depending on experience. Some families are happy to share their nanny with another family, with both sets of children looked after at the same time. In this instance, the cost per family is reduced to $11 per hour. If you would like this option, please check the "Nanny Share" option in the booking form and we will advise you if there is a family available in your local area that you can share with. In either case, our agency fee for finding you a screened, experienced nanny is $550.
We have nannies currently seeking families. We can arrange a nanny for you in as little as one week. If you let us know your requirements we will find you the three best candidates who are suited to your needs and present them to you for an interview. It is then up to you to choose who you like best. We screen all our candidates with a psychometric test and by checking their references and requiring them to obtain a Blue Card and First Aid Certificate. We also test all candidates with an on-line childcare quiz to ensure they are equipped for the essentials of child development and care. We require all nannies that we place to give a minimum notice period of two weeks to assist with the transition. This is usually more than sufficient time for Au Pair Me Up to source you the next nanny. To get started just call 1300 300 170 or fill in the free registration form.
The Australian government's childcare subsidy does not directly apply to au pairs or nannies at this stage except under very specific circumstances. The government offers the In Home Care (IHC) program to families who met the following criteria:
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Parents or carers are working non-standard or variable hours;
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Families are geographically isolated from other types of approved child care;
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The family is experiencing challenging or complex situations.
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There are only 3,200 In Home Care (IHC) places offered across Australia. As such, it is a program that is designed for families who need it most, and doesn't apply to most families. For those families who think they may be eligible, please contact us and click here for more information.