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Au pair/childcare


Nikki Carey

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That was me, we had au pairs and demi pairs from Perth Demi Pair. They ensure the applicants have 'Working with Children' checks which is an extended police check, they do some basic training too. It is very unlikely you would get someone with childcare qualifications though, aupairs are really a 'mothers help' and will do housework as well as childcare. Anyone with qualifications could earn a lot more as a nanny.

 

The benefit we found was cost obviously and having someone living in (though of course you could get a live-in nanny) the downside is most of them were very young and inexperienced. The demi-pairs can work 20 hours a week and are on student visas - most of them are doing English language courses and stay 3 months, the aupairs are usually on WHV and can stay up to 6 months. We found, especially with 3 month placements everyone had only settled in when we were starting with someone new and my son got less and less engaged with whoever came as he knew they'd be leaving again soon. In the end we actually rented the spare room to a student (we had built a self-contained studio) and got a local qualified nanny - it was $25 an hour but worked better for us.

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Is there a possibility of longer placements as my boys are 2&4 and I don't want to unsettle them every few months. I will be working shifts hence the need for flexible childcare. How does the live in nanny differ? You mention $25 an hour, how does that work out with full board and accommodation etc?

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