Once you have decided to hire a child carer we will need to know as much about you as possible, so we can find that perfect carer.

When you have completed a family application form and we have your details, we can start looking for you straight away. As soon as we think we have found that perfect person we will contact you with their details. The carer will then call you to arrange a time to meet and discuss any issues or questions you may have. Below is a selection to get you started.

-Discipline what do you do as a parent if a child needs to be disciplined. Eg naughty corner, time outs etc if bad behaviour still continues what do you suggest?

-Diet eg lollies, When can sweets be given? Do you have 3 square meals day or 6 small meals during the day? Or do you let the child/children eat what ever they like.

-Manners: Are please and thank you important to you?.

-Scheduling. Do the children have schedules or do you play it by ear or do you require the carers to plan activities throughout the day?

-Religion. Do you want the carers to discuss religious issues with your children?

-Sharing. Do the children share toys among siblings or do they play with their own toys.

-Do the children have to do as they are told the first time or do you give them three chances?

-Will the carer be part of the family eg will he/she have dinner with the family or do you prefer not to include the carer?

-Will he/she be included in family outings.?

-Phone restrictions: Are local calls permitted if required and payment is expected for any STD, International & mobile calls?

Food: Will lunch be provided or will they be required to bring lunch from home? (For live-out positions)

Is your family unstructured? If so how would you feel about a very organized carer, or if you are a very organised household how would you feel about a carer who is not the best of organisers?

Do you feel comfortable with the carer? Is the carer on the same wavelength as you are. It doesn’t matter what qualifications they have or experience, if you don’t feel comfortable with the carer, then don’t employ them.

You will also need to make a clear and precise job description of what the job entails, expectations, duties, hours & days off. You must include specific times to start and finish.
Rate of pay. You need to state an hourly rate which when multiplied by the hours you have specified will ensure that both you and the carer are fully aware of what is expected.
How much pay for extra babysitting or overtime should also be addressed.

When your new carer begins work you will need to allow some time for adjustment. It is best not to expect too much in the first few weeks because the children will need time to adjust also. If the children are upset that you are returning to work, then you will need to allow some extra time. Let the carer do some babysitting a couple of nights a week before you return to work and spend some time together. Give the children and the carer some time on their own to do some fun activities. If the children know it’s going to be fun with a carer then they won’t mind so much that you are returning to work.

All childcarers need support. As there is no career path in their field they are often taken for granted. Please inform the carers if they are doing a great job. If the carers are happy in their job then the children will be happy too.

This is the basis of a good relationship between the carer and the family and ultimately good quality child care which will benefit you and the children.

If you would like in engage one of our professional carers then please fill in a family application form after reading our terms and conditions.