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MLNA - Nanny Share Information: Things to Consider - 2nd September 2015

Nanny Share is where two or more families engage one professional nanny to care for their children together within a home environment.

Nanny Share can be a happy medium between traditional nanny care and childcare centres. Your child will still received the one-on-one attention, but also benefit from the interaction with the other children in care. Since there are not as many children around, your child may not get sick as often as they may at a childcare centre. However, be prepared for some germ-sharing, it?s unavoidable when children get together.

Nanny Share is where two or more families engage one professional nannyÿto care for their children together within a home environment.Nanny Share can be a happy medium between traditional nanny care and childcare centres. Your child will still received the one-on-one attention, but also benefit from the interaction with the other children in care. Since there are not as many children around, your child may not get sick as often as they may at a childcare centre. However, be prepared for some germ-sharing, it?s unavoidable when children get together.Nanny Share works best when the children are of similar ages, as they will often enjoy the same activities and have similar needs. Another consideration will be family?s schedule, the closer the family schedules are to each other, the happier everyone will be. So it is probably best to limit your nanny share to three or less families, preferably who live relatively close by, to keep the logistics manageable. It is also a great idea to set up regular scheduled meet ups with all the parents and the nanny, to discuss any problems and to catch up on what has been happening.
Melbourne?s Leading Nanny Agency suggests that families considering a shared care arrangement create an agreement between one another to ensure the arrangements are solid and that both parties have a good understanding of how things will work. Below listed are items that should be discussed and agreed upon: In our experience failure to reach agreement prior to commencing the interview process can put candidates off and may result in an unsuccessful union.

Whose home will the care take place in?
It is usual for the care to take place in one home rather than rotating between the two. The home where the care takes place can either be a benefit or a burden. Why? If the children have similar sleep times then nanny can spend some time tidying the home and doing some light housekeeping duties, however if the children?s sleep schedule clashes it would not leave nanny much time to do much around the home. There can be additional wear and tear on the home where the care takes place and elevated electricity, gas, water rates etc.

Who will be the boss family?
That is, who will be responsible for full payment to the nanny? It is usual for the family whose home the care takes place in, to be responsible for full payment. The boss family would be responsible for collecting payment from the second family, not the nanny. The boss family will also be the primary contact for the nanny regarding cancellation of shifts or time changes. In the event that the second family no longer require the shared care arrangement, the nanny will still be paid the same amount and the boss family will be responsible for finding another family to share the care with.

What % of the hourly rate will each family be responsible for?
It is usual for this to be determined by the families after all details have been discussed and agreed upon.

How long will the share arrangement last?
Different families may have different expectations of the arrangement; some may see this is a stopgap while they await an opening in a childcare centre, while others are looking for a home-based, non-institutional care for their children before they begin pre-school. It is essential for families to have a discussion of their plans and expectations. Nannies need to be aware of the expectations, and given both notice and a reference for when the share comes to an end.

Do you require an additional porta cot?
This should be a spare one so as not to have to transport it back and forth everyday.

Do you require an additional high chair?
This should be a spare one