b'Canada is becoming more acquainted with nannying, specifically agencies. When I firstopened my agency back in 2015, the number of clients who told me, I didnt know we hadanything like this here! This is genius! or I always wanted to be a nanny, but I didnt think Icould do that in Canada was shocking. This provided us with the opportunity to set thestandards for what quality in-home childcare can and should look like in Canadian homes. As agencies are a more recent concept here, really sprouting up only in the last 10 to 15years, many nannies are employed privately by the families theyve found through a friendor through an online site. From my experience here in Winnipeg, Canada, and knowing afew other nannies and agency owners throughout Canada, most nannies that live locallyare live-out nannies, though there certainly are some live-in opportunities as well. Oneunique aspect of the nanny market in Canada is that nannies from abroad can find greatopportunities here. There are no regulations in Canada that require nannies to have any specific licenses orcertifications. However, almost everyone hiring a nanny, whether privately or through anagency, expects that the nanny hold a current CPR and first-aid certificate, a clearedchild abuse check, and a clear criminal record check. These all need to be processedindividually, which can cause a delay of up to six weeks.The battle of ensuring nannies are paid legally and fairly is not lost on us here in Canada.In fact, it is one of the reasons I started The Nanny Companyto ensure nannies were paid Danica Charriere is the founder of a fair wage through legal channels. We do our very best to educate nannies about the The Nanny Company, fact that while being paid in cash sounds enticing, its not setting them up for success located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.down the road and is illegal if the nannies arent taught to claim it as income at the end Founded in 2015, The Nanny Company employsoftheyear.Nanniesgenerallymakeanywherebetween$11.65(minimumwagein over 50 casual, part-time, and full-time nanniesManitoba) to $25+ per hour depending on their location, education, and job expectations.and strives to find excellent nannies for parentsEmploying nannies through agencies is also more common in Canada than in the United and advocates for professional growth,States. The Nanny Company currently has a staff of over 50 casual, part-time, and full- development, and fair and legal pay for nannies. time nannies. Benefits in terms of health care are generally not a main topic of discussionwhen working out employment agreements, as Canada has a universal health care model.Families or agencies may choose to provide additional benefits to help cover up to certainamounts in a specific, noncovered category, but this is not always included in every workagreement. Conferences and learning opportunities for nannies to expand their childcare knowledgeor gain experience in specific fields is also not as readily available across Canada. Oftenthehighesteducationwefindthatnannieshaveistheirearlychildhoodeducationdiploma from a community college, which they pursued in hopes of working in a childcarecenter. They then turned to private childcare in the hopes of being able to get away fromthe politics of centers and to focus on providing enriching environments for children in amore one-on-one home atmosphere. Newborn care specialists are also not common here.With this knowledge, one of our goals here at The Nanny Company is to provide nannieswith various opportunities for continued growth in this career niche. Oftentimes, unless a family has actually employed a nanny, youll hear the words nannyand babysitter used interchangeably, which is another norm we strive to drive change.As far as we define it, babysitting is ensuring great care of the children and cleaning upafter the children and yourself at the end of the shift. Thats it! Nannying, on the otherhand, requires a lot more responsibility: school pick up and drop off, light errands, lighthousekeepingandhouseholdmanaging(keepingagrocerylist,beingpresentforcontractors, home repairs, etc.), family meal prep, childrens laundry, and room cleanup,homework help, transporting children to and from activities, and various other tasks thathelp a family run smoothly. Parents who employ nannies range from teachers, families where the father works and themother is a stay-at-home mom, business owners, lawyers, professional athletes, and manymore. At the end of the day, outside all politics and agreements, parents are looking forsomeone to love and care for their children as their ownand were happy to help themfind qualified caregivers who can do so.'