Nannies & Professional Babysitters - CareforKids.com.au®

Nannies & Professional Babysitters
More in demand than ever

Despite these times of tight family finances, nanny and babysitter agencies are seeing an increase in demand for their services rather than an expected decrease.

The agencies are also seeing a shift towards career nannies over girls filing in time or nannying while looking for more permanent careers.

The New National Quality Framework aims to increase the quality of care by requiring more qualified staff in child care services, hopefully leading to better paid and happier staff and lower staff turnover, although ultimately parents will pay the cost of this to a certain extent.

According to TAFE NSW Children's Services Department there are approximately 105,500 childcare workers in Australia today, 17,400 child care teachers as well as 11,000 child care centre managers and child carers are one of the top five occupations expectedto provide the largest number of new jobs

Child care workers have a low rate of full time employment – which makes this occupation ideal for those looking for family friendly part time work.

TAFE Sydney Institute's Early Childhood Education and Care head teacher Keryn Henderson-Wilson says they have seen a marked increase in applications for the Certificate III qualification which leads to work as Child Care Assistants, Unqualified Child Care Workers, Family Day Care Workers and Nannies.

Applicants are from a number of categories, including school leavers looking for further qualifications to become a child care industry worker; people already working in the industry who are looking to get qualifications for the new regulations and to increase their prospects for promotion and also more mature applicants who have decided to pursue a career in child care after having children or simply wanting to make a lifestyle/career change.

Annemarie Sansom from Australian Nanny Agency, Night Nannies, says she has seen both a marked increase in the number of parents registering with her for nannies, and also a massive influx of nanny applications over the last six months.

"Generally to me increased nanny applications is a sign of fewer jobs and more competition in the Child Care Industry, but it could also be a case of fewer jobs elsewhere, which encourages women to career change. Nannying and babysitting is also a good job for women wanting part time work in order juggle their own family commitments".

Annemarie says that most of her candidates are in their mid-twenties and already have a minimum of a Certificate 3 children's services with First Aid and are looking to either continue their studies or attend intensive skill based workshops to keep up to date with their knowledge.

"We have had an increase in applicants over the last 6 months I believe due to the current economy, says Sansom, "although I would have thought we would have had fewer Parents looking for Nannies. It has actually been the opposite for us. We have had more families looking for part time Nannies because they have not been happy with their current child care arrangements or fees have increased".

With the National Quality Framework, Career Changers due to the economic downturn and job loss due to a predicted recession, and the option of flexible working for child care workers and the need of working parents for more flexible child care arrangements, we are bound to see more women turning to career nannying. Let's just hope the government recognizes this and gives nannies "approved" child care status.;

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