Expert advice on how to find a childcarer
Finding the right childcarer for your family can be a difficult task. You want to be sure that whoever you are welcoming into your children’s lives or your home is the best fit and that your children are in the safest hands. SureSitter.com makes finding a trusted childcarer much easier by connecting parents to local, trusted childcare professionals. From one-off jobs, to live-in arrangements, and across all ages, SureSitter is the stress-free way to get the support you need. SureSitter is also registered with An Garda Siochana meaning they can process Garda vetting on behalf of their carers. In addition, SureSitter also carry out ID verification checks. If a carer has verified their ID, it will be noted on their profile. So along with ensuring your chosen childcarer is safe, Sinead Asple from SureSitter is here to provide some expert advice on what to look out for when choosing the right childcarer for you.
What information should I include in my SureSitter job post in order to find the best fit for me and my family?
It’s really simple to post a childcare job on SureSitter. They guide you through the process to ensure that you find the most qualified and suitable carers for your needs. This includes specifying the type of care you need, whether it’s an after-school childminder to do school runs or full-time nanny for your children or whether it’s an occasional babysitter. It’s really important to include a brief description of the role in the job post. Tell prospective carers a little bit about your family, how many children you have, if you have pets etc. It’s also important to clarify any requirements that are necessary for the role such as a driver’s licence, special needs experience, garda vetting, and childcare qualifications.
How do I decide how much to pay my childminder/nanny?
Firstly, it’s important to distinguish the difference between a nanny and a childminder as the rates are very different. A childminder runs a childcare service from their own home, caring for children from several families. The typical daily rate for a childminder is €50 per child per day. Hourly rates vary throughout Ireland, but a parent can expect to pay anything from €5-10 euro per hour, per child, to be cared for in a childminder’s home. The rate can vary depending on the different services that are offered, for example if meals are included.
A nanny cares for the children within a family and works in the family home. They are entitled to at least minimum wage per hour, depending on experience and qualifications. Usual nanny requirements include the care of anything relating to the children, such as feeding them, cleaning up after them, laundry, and maintaining their room and play spaces. A nanny can be live in or live out. All nannies are entitled to receive the minimum wage, currently €10.10 (from 1 February 2020) per hour in Ireland. Beyond that the rate varies depending on a number of factors including experience, qualifications and flexibility needed for the role e.g. will the nanny be required to travel with the family.
What factors should I consider when choosing my childminder/nanny?
Every family’s circumstances are different so it’s important the individual needs of the family. Factors to consider when choosing care include:
- Experience – does the carer have the most appropriate childcare experience and also age appropriate experience?
- References – can they provide references from previous employers?
- Have they been Garda vetted?
- Language – how proficient are they in the language you speak in your home?
- Have they first aid experience?
- Are they required to cook family meals and if so, are they able to do so?
Should I choose a childminder/nanny who has formal qualifications?
There is no legal requirement for nannies or childminders to have formal qualifications. It is very much up to the individual family to determine if this is something that is important to them.
How do I know what type of childcarer I need?
Very important to distinguish the difference between:
A nanny:
A nanny cares for the children within a family and works in the family home. They are entitled to at least minimum wage per hour, depending on experience and qualifications. Usual nanny requirements include the care of anything relating to the children, such as feeding them, cleaning up after them, laundry, and maintaining their room and play spaces. A nanny can be live in or live out.
Au pair:
An au pair also works in the family home, caring for the children in the family. As there is more of a focus on the au pair studying and learning the language, the hours they work would usually be less than typical nanny hours. Again, the au pair is entitled to at least minimum wage per hour and can be live in or live out.
Childminder:
A childminder runs a childcare service from their own home, caring for children from several families. The typical daily rate for a childminder is €50 per child per day.
A babysitter:
A babysitter is usually a once off, casual arrangement, whereby a sitter comes to the home, usually in the evening, for a few hours.
How do I background check my chosen childminder?
In Ireland, Garda vetting is the primary option to background check potential carers. Garda vetting is carried out by relevant organisations in Ireland, that is organisations who work with children. SureSitter is registered with An Garda Siochana to process Garda vetting on behalf of our carers. In addition, we also carry our ID verification checks. If a carer has verified their ID, it will be noted on their profile.
SureSitter is free for both parents and sitters to sign up. Parents can post a job for free and are only charged when they are linked up with a suitable sitter.
One-off payment (per job posted)- €29.00
Annual subscription (unlimited jobs can be posted) – €99.00
Parents can avail of SureSitter’s payroll service from just €11.44 a week.
To find out more visit www.suresitter.com