• “I want my nanny to be a substitute mother for my children.”
• “I want her to be half housekeeper, half nanny.”
• “She should be more than an employee. I want her to be part of the family.”
• “I just want  someone who’ll love and take care of my children.”
• “We want someone who’s professional, intelligent, and warm.”

Do you have more questions? Visit our Forum: CAREGIVERS in CANADA.

Here are some of care giver’s responses:

• “I want to be part of the family.”
• “This is just a job.”
• “I wish to had an employer who appreciates my work.”
• “I want to find a family who respects and understand me.”

Parents should be realistic about their expectations for a childcare worker. What in fact are realistic expectations? Let’s start with the most obvious fact: To you, it’s your home and your child, but to your caregiver , it’s a job. If the job brings attachment, love, and respect, generally everyone (especially your children) benefits. It’s no coincidence that virtually  every nanny needs to be respected and appreciated, and that the vast majority of parents who were satisfied with their permanent childcare arrangements also spoke about their relationships of mutual respect with caregivers. As a parent, you may expect yourself to be on call twenty-four hours a day, but you cannot reasonably expect this of your employee. You may give selflessly to your children, but your caregiver (who may in fact love your kids) may also have a family of her own.

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Choosing child care is an important and sometimes hard decision. If you go back to work, it may mean the end of the special time with your child. For some parents it may feel good, since it means that you have time to do some things for yourself again. Whether you need child care for a very small number of hours or full-time (40 hours a week), spend the time needed to find the setting that is right for you and your child.

There are many child-care choices available. Some families have grandparents or other family to look after their children, while others have a babysitter or a nanny to come to their home. Some take their child to a family daycare provider who cares for a small group of children of different ages in their own home. And still others choose group child care at a centre.

Think about what it is that you are looking for or need.

Plan What Will Work for Your Family

• Do you need care full-time, part-time, or for only a few days a month?
• Can you get your child to daycare or does the caregiver need to come to you?
• Do you need care for the same days each week? Or will you need someone at short notice, or someone who can stay at night if necessary, or someone to care for your child on different days each week?
• How many hours of child care do you need each day? Think about travel time to and from daycare.
• Can you find child care close to your workplace?
• How much can you pay? (Find out about child care subsidies)

Plan What Will Work for Your Child

• Does your child like large groups, small groups or does he like one-to-one attention?
• Do you think he will be happy at home with one caregiver? Having brothers or sisters at home helps.
• Does you child like going out and having lots of things to do, or does he like quiet times the best?

Children can be happy in many different sorts of child-care settings.

(Toddler’s First Steps – A Best Chance Guide to Parenting Your Six-Month to Three-Year-Old)
Do you have more questions? Visit our Forum: CAREGIVERS in CANADA.

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