What is a nanny anyway? In-home care defined.

Welcome to TLC's blog for nannies, nanny employers and anyone interested in in-home childcare! For the first post, I would like to define in-home care and dispel myths that may be associated with what nannies do! The following definitions are published by the International Nanny Association - which is a professional organization representing nannies, families and agencies involved in in-home childcare. TLC's founder Sharon Graff is also the First Vice-President of the International Nanny Association. TLC for Kids has been St. Louis' premier childcare agency since 1985 and have placed thousands of nannies over the years!

INA uses the following definitions to describe various in-home child care positions:

Baby Sitter. An individual who provides supervisory or custodial care of children on an irregular, full-time or part-time basis. Special training should not be expected.

Au Pair (Foreign). A foreign national who resides in the United States for up to one year lives as part of the host family, and receives a small stipend in exchange for baby-sitting and helping with housework. She may or may not have previous child care experience.

Parent/Mother’s Helper. An individual who lives in or out of the home and works for a family to provide full-time or part-time child care and domestic help for families in which one parent is home most of the time. The individual may be left in charge of the children for brief periods, and may or may not have previous child care experience.

Nanny. An individual who is employed by the family, on either a live-in or live-out basis, to undertake all tasks related to the care of the family’s children. Duties are generally restricted to child care and the domestic tasks related to child care. A nanny may or may not have had formal training, though often has a good deal of actual experience. Nanny’s work-week usually ranges from 40 to 60 hours per week. Nannies usually work unsupervised.

Nursery Nurse. The title is used in Great Britain for a person who has received special training and preparation in caring for young children. When employed by the family, she or he may live in or out of the home. A nursery nurse works independently and is responsible for everything related to the care of the children. Duties are generally restricted to child care and the domestic tasks related to child care. The work-week is usually 50 to 60 hours per week. In addition to specialized training, the nursery nurse will also have successfully passed the national British certification examination of the Council for Awards in
Children’s Care and Education (CACHE), which is formerly referred to as a Norland Nanny. In the United States, the term “nurse” is reserved strictly for the medical profession (see below).

Newborn Care Specialist. In the United States, nannies are prohibited from using the title “nursery nurse.” The term “nurse” is reserved strictly for the medical profession. In 2007, INA adopted the title of “newborn care specialist” to describe a nanny who is trained in caring for newborn babies.

Governess. Traditionally, a governess is an educated person with a degree who is employed by a family for the full-time or part-time at-home education of school-age children. A governess functions as a teacher and is not usually involved with domestic work or the physical care of younger children. Work hours may vary.