“What Will I do About Childcare?”
Every new parent considering returning to work has asked themselves this question and weighed the options. Each family has different childcare needs—what’s right for your neighbor or your friend might not be right for you! There are many pros and cons to private childcare compared to shared options like daycare. To help parents embarking on this decision for themselves, we’ve looked into the pros and cons of two standard private childcare solutions: hiring an Au Pair versus hiring a nanny.
First of all, let’s cover exactly what an Au Pair is. An Au Pair is a young adult (typically between 18 and 27) who exchanges childcare for room and board and the cultural experience of living in a foreign country. Their role is centered more around cultural immersion vs. a nanny, who is a true childcare professional.
Pros of Hiring an Au Pair:
- One of the biggest pros for hiring an au pair is that they share their culture and experience with the families they work with. This can include introducing new types of food, music, tradition, and more! They can often even aid with introducing your children to a new language at a young age, which can strengthen their brain development!
- An au pair lives in your home and can quickly become a family member.
- Usually, an Au Pair’s salary is far lower, and therefore, can be a more affordable option for the average family. Much of the reasoning is that the family is responsible for covering expenses such as room and board, food, and additional costs such as a phone.
- Au Pairs go through an extensive screening process before even beginning to be considered for the program (note: reputable nanny agencies also use background checks)
Pros of Hiring a Nanny:
- A nanny can provide consistency and stability in your child’s life. Ideally, your child’s nanny will be a part of their life for many years; they could even, quite easily, grow to become part of the family. A nanny will often be flexible with their hours, so if you have a late meeting at work or need to go in early, they can generally accommodate that. In comparison, a daycare often has set hours that may require you or your partner to rearrange your work schedules.
- You’re in control when you have a nanny; as their employer, you can design their position to fit your family’s needs exactly. In the letter, you can detail your nanny’s duties and responsibilities when you draw up a nanny contract.
- Your nanny can provide unstructured and structured socialization and play opportunities. For example, they may take your child to play at the park, schedule playdates, or enroll them in classes suited to their interests and age group. Many nannies know a network of other nannies who work with children in the same area; this can provide excellent opportunities for your child to befriend nearby kids.
- As career professionals, many nannies have relevant experience, education, backgrounds, certifications, etc. Because of this, you can often get specialized care and tailor your nanny search to meet your family’s specific needs (I.E., hiring a nanny who speaks a specific language or perhaps who has experience caring for special needs children or has experience with specific childcare methodologies).
Cons of Hiring an Au Pair:
- While there is never a guarantee for the time a nanny will stay with a family, typically, nannies have more flexibility and can remain in a position for an extended amount of time, which provides more stability to a child. An Au Pair, on the other hand, can only stay in the U.S. on a J-1 visa for about 1-2 years.
- Nannies can be found through agencies, personal referrals, and even social media. Still, only 15 agencies licensed by the Department of State can grant Au Pair J-1 visas.
- Au Pairs typically have stricter regulations regarding the type of work they can do (e.g., working less than a certain number of hours per week and only helping children within a specific age range).
- Not every family wants to invite an employee to live with them, and there is little flexibility with this requirement
Cons of Hiring a Nanny:
- Having a nanny can indeed feel like a luxury. Because you’re the nanny’s employer, the tax situation can also be confusing; however, unlike daycares, nannies don’t charge per child, and some nanny agencies have an in-house payroll service to help you navigate the red tape.
- If your nanny is sick, late, or needs the day off, this can potentially disrupt your entire day. However, a good nanny understands this and, when possible, will work out a solution for you well in advance.
- A full-time nanny’s salary isn’t always feasible for every family. An au pair or even a nanny share may be a better solution in these cases!
Remember, childcare is a personal decision and it is essential to outline your family’s childcare needs before beginning your search. For further research, feel free to read other posts on our blog, which focuses on the nanny-family relationship, how to find a nanny after maternity leave, what you can expect from a nanny, and a nanny’s typical duties and responsibilities, among other topics. If you would like to find out more about how a nanny my benefit for family, reach out to us info@nannyauthority.com or (973) 466 2669