How to Set Up a Nanny Share
Reduce Childcare Costs and Encourage Social Time by Sharing Nannies
Nov 19, 2008
Do you need to find childcare for only one or two mornings a week, or want your child to have more personal care than can be provided in a group daycare? Sharing a nanny between several children can help make childcare more flexible and affordable for parents and provides children with regular playmates. Here's how to set up a nanny share for yourself.
What is a Nanny Share?
A nanny share is a childcare situation where a nanny is hired to care for more than one child at a time, which reduces the cost to the parents involved while still providing low child to caregiver ratios in a home setting. The nanny may care for one child every day of the week and several other children on only one or two days each week. Care is usually provided in one family's home.
Why Share a Nanny?
By sharing one nanny's services among several families, quality childcare becomes more affordable. Even if a nanny charges more to care for multiple children the hourly rate usually works out to be less when sharing than if you hired a nanny to care for a single child in your home. Also, a nanny share can provide a smaller, more home-like childcare setting than a group daycare, with more attention available for each child. Children will also benefit from regular playtime with one or two other kids in a nanny share.
How to Find a Nanny Share
The best place to find a trusted nanny caring for children in your neighbourhood is to ask your friends, neighbours and the other moms at playgroup or library storytime. Word of mouth and personal recommendation are a great place to start your nanny share search. If nobody you know is looking to share a nanny, try searching online on your local Craigslist or parenting message board.
Start Your Nanny Share Gradually
Once you've found some other parents who want to share a nanny and a nanny who is interested in caring for two or three children at once, take an hour or two to meet the nanny and let your child play in the space and with the other children who will be there at the same time. Watch for safety issues, ask lots of questions, and see how your child interacts with the nanny and other children.
A nanny share can be the ideal childcare situation for parents who are looking to reduce the cost of full-time childcare or for parents who are looking for care one or two days a week.
