How to become a Nanny

With more parents returning to work early after having kids, or struggling to balance their work/life commitments, nannies and childcare workers are seeing huge demand. Being a nanny is an incredibly rewarding experience as you help toddlers navigate the first stage of the life. By caring for children and helping them grow into happy, healthy adults, you are playing a hugely instrumental role in their life, something that a child will never forget. If you’re considering becoming a nanny in Australia, there are certain steps you must take before you can start working as one. Keep reading to find out more.

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‍Step 1: Complete a childcare course

While there are no formal qualifications required to work as a nanny in Australia, it is important that you have relevant training and experience. There are a number of childcare courses available online that can help you to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to work as a nanny.

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‍Step 2: Get your Working with Children Check (WWCC)

The most important requirement for becoming a nanny in Australia is having the right qualifications. This includes completing relevant courses and getting your Working with Children Check (WWCC). The WWCC is a national criminal history check that is conducted by the Australian Federal Police. To apply for a WWCC, you will need to provide your personal details, as well as any relevant work history. Depending on the state or territory you live in, different qualifications may be required, for example, some states require first aid certifications or specialised training for working with babies or toddlers. In addition to formal qualifications, many parents will look for experience caring for children, either from previous employment or volunteer work.

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Step 3: Learn the National Quality Framework (NQF)

The National Quality Framework (NQF) is a set of standards that all early childhood education and care services in Australia must meet. As a nanny, you will need to be familiar with the NQF and its requirements, as you will be responsible for ensuring that the children in your care meet these standards.

Step 4: Set your rates

Once you have identified potential clients, it’s time to set your rates. When deciding on a rate, consider not only how much money you need to make but also the cost of living in your area and any additional expenses associated with being a nanny (travel costs, fuel or food). It’s also important to remember that while there may be some flexibility when setting your rate with individual clients, professional organisations abide by minimum wage laws in each state or territory. With there being a general shortage of nannies, you’ll likely have some flexibility on what you charge.

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‍Step 5: Promote your services

Now that your business is up and running, you’ll need to find clients. As a nanny, you’ll typically be looking for opportunities with a 20 – 40 km radius of your home, so you can easily go back and forth. Doing target advertising in the suburbs that are within reach is the best place to start. You can post on job boards, Airtasker, Gumtree, or specialist nanny sites. You might even have luck by searching through classifieds to see if any parents have requested help with a nanny. Another avenue is agencies. Many nannies in Australia are employed through agencies. The agency will then match you with families who are looking for nannies with your specialist skills and experience.

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‍Step 6: Purchase insurance

It is important that you have insurance when working as a nanny in Australia. This insurance will protect you if something goes wrong while you are working, such as if a child is injured while in your care. If you are working via an agency, they will often provide insurance coverage, so it’s best to check when you sign up.

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‍Step 7: Invoice your clients

Now that you have started being a nanny, you’ll need to invoice your clients and get paid. Thriday is a great solution for nannies, as it combines invoicing, with accounting, bookkeeping, tax and payments. Having everything in one place makes it easy to keep track of your finances and stay compliant with your tax obligations. With Thriday, once you send an invoice and it’s paid, your income is automatically reconciled, and your projected tax bill is calculated. Thriday eliminates the time that nannies can waste doing financial admin, freeing them up to spend more time with the kids they are caring for.

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As a nanny, it's important to always remain professional, this means showing up on time and being reliable as well as providing the highest quality care possible for your clients' children. As a nanny, it's essential that you take an active role in their development by encouraging playtime activities that help foster creativity and positive behaviour patterns. Lastly, be sure to communicate regularly with parents regarding their child's progress and any changes that should be made going forward. We wish you the best of luck as you start your childcare business.