Nannies: Are Nannies Trained and Licensed?
Are nannies trained and licensed?
No, because currently there are no state or federal requirements for nannies to be licensed.
Some nannies are trained or attend schools or training programs that specialize in courses on child development, nutrition and meal planning, behavior management and positive discipline, CPR, Safety and First Aid, but there isn’t any regulations or a licensing process that exist, so education and training vary greatly.
Education
People with a degree in early childhood education from a university or community college, usually work in public schools or day care centers, leaving a big gap between childcare workers without formal training and certification and those with on-the-job training and experience. Wouldn’t it be great to have both, and formally train and certify nannies who essentially are doing the same thing and more as pre-school teachers. The difference between the two types of educators is where they work. Pre-school teachers work in a day-care center and nannies work inside of the home. They are both responsible for the same job of caring and instructing children from infancy to 4 years old.
Pay and Job Outlook
The median income for pre-school teachers is $28,570 annually, and require an Associate’s degree in an entry level position at approximately $13 per hour.
The median income for nannies, according to Childcare Resources, a nanny referral and placement agency that has been in business since 1989, is $31,200 annually at $15 per hour.
Because education and training requirements vary by state and employers, many states do not have any education requirements for entry-level positions. Requirements range from no formal education to a certification in early childhood education, a high school diploma or the equivalent is desired.
Childcare workers with postsecondary education or an early childhood education credential may be qualified for higher level and paid positions. The same situation exist for nannies. In some cases, nannies can as for $15 per hour and more, depending on their experience, job description, and number of children.
If nannies are formally trained in postsecondary education, certified, and have experience, they can get their asking price to work with affluent families in the comfort of a home with perks and benefits.
Definitions of Domestic Care Positions:
As you enter into the domestic care industry, you have a lot of options and job descriptions to choose.
In our industry, most people use the term ‘babysitter’ to describe a Nanny, Au Pair, to a highly-trained and experienced Governess with a degree.
The following are terms to help you determine which position is right for you. If you are enrolled in our training program, you might see these answers on the test.
Nanny
A nanny is a childcare provider employed to undertake all tasks associated with the care and development of a child or children, according to the parents terms and conditions.
In addition to child care, duties include light-housekeeping related to cleaning after children, meal planning and light-cooking, laundry and clothing care pertaining to the child or children. House-cleaning is not included unless negotiated in a work agreement.
This type of nanny may or may not have had formal training, but often has a good deal of hands-on experience. The nanny’s work schedule ranges from 25 to 45 hours per week, with an appropriate pay of $12 per hour and up, and $300 to $550 per week.
Certified Nanny
This caregiver is a career nanny with formal educational training including child development to provide children with intellectual stimulation, language and growth, physical, emotional, social, positive behavior, and safety.
Candidates with training and certification have choices of high paying jobs ranging from $400 per week, part-time to $700 per week including benefits, on a full-time, live-out or live-in bases.
House cleaning for the family is generally not included, although most nannies are willing to wash and fold laundry when a child or children are napping.
Once the children are in school and the nanny is no longer need full-time for child care, the families and nannies can negotiate a job description for this professional nanny to run errands, grocery shop, cook and prepare a basic family meal, pick up children from school, organize after school activities, tutor and supervise the child or children, and travel with the family on vacations, along with many perks and benefits.
Au-Pair, American
This is an American caregiver who lives with a family, and is a native of one of the territories or countries under the control or ownership of the USA. This caregivers are mainly young women or men from Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. They may not have previous experience. The Au-Pair American’s work schedule varies around the family’s schedule with a lower pay scale of generally, $8 per hour and up, because of the complete live-in accommodations; a provided automobile and gasoline; health and auto insurance, depending on the family.
Au-Pair, Foreign
This is a foreign national caregiver who lives with an American family, and receives an allowance for living expenses in exchange for helping with the child or children. They may or may not have experience, and are required to have a federally approved one-year visa. They are expected and required to take educational courses of their choice during their one-year of cultural exchange in the USA. The approximate pay is an allowance or stipend generally $130 and up to $200 per week with complete live-in accommodations; a provided automobile with gasoline and insurance, and more.
Mother’s Helper
A Mother’s Helper is often called an Infant Nanny. This caregivers provides full or part-time childcare and housekeeping while one parent is at home. They are left in charge of the children or infant for brief periods of time, and work under 35 hours per week to provide specific instructions such as bottle-
feeding, cleaning, nurturing, comforting infants and babies, and adhering to sleep schedules. Often Mother’s Helpers are required to administer medication to unwell babies or young children according to parent’s specific instructions, and assist with housekeeping, laundry, cooking and cleaning dishes, and running family errands such as grocery shopping and picking up dry cleaning.
The wage for Mother’s Helpers is generally $12-$18 per hour, depending on the parent’s job description and extensive experience in infant care.
Baby-Sitter
Usually this caregiver is a high school or college student who provides a supervisory care of a child or school-age children on a part-time bases that is generally under 8 hours a day with a wage of $10 per hour. Their duties include creative play, light-meal preparation, bath care and bedtime, and light-housekeeping after play-time and meals. A background screening is highly recommended as with other positions, in addition to checking references.
Housekeeper
Often a Housekeepers is a mature woman or man who lives in or out of the family’s home full-time. Responsibilities include complete house cleaning, laundry and supervisory childcare of older, school-age children. They are not expected to plan activities for children, but they generally run errands and can drop off older children or non-driving high school students at activities with the parent’s permission.
Governess
Traditionally this type of caregiver is a certified or licensed teacher or qualified education specialist who is employed full or part-time to provide in-home schooling and child development training for school-age children. A governess functions as a teacher and parental supervisor, and do not take on the responsibility of house-cleaning or care for an infant or personal care of a young child. Their approximate wage is $45,000 to over $60,000 per year.
With so many working mothers and parents working inside and outside of the home, the need for caregivers has significantly increased; and with so many positions to choose in the domestic care industry, which one will you choose?