A Childcare Solution~ The Nanny Share

I have worn many hats working alongside children as young as infants through their teenage years in high school, as a Para-Professional in a Special Education classroom I saw the challenges that schools have with the "one fits all" model, and the lack of Special Education Teachers. While working  as an elementary substitute teacher I gained tremendous respect for the diversity that public schools offer. When I was an elementary tutor I saw that when you throw out benchmarks, and give the student the personal attention they deserve that they will begin to thrive and surpass their own goals. As a former licensed group home daycare owner I saw families that had to make some hard choices when it came to paying for childcare. Also, as a homeschooling parent I have witnessed parents having to make the choice to send their child to school when it was not in their child's best interest , because they didn't have the ability to pay for childcare.  

                                                                             

                          

As a community we can collectively lower childcare cost, pay higher wages to early childhood educators and see childcare in a way you haven't always seen it done before.  We can begin this journey by first focusing on nurturing our children much longer in a childcare setting, instead of trying to rush them off to a traditional classroom "like childcare" to get them prepared for kindergarten earlier so that we can stop having to pay the high cost of childcare as soon as we can. Living in a community where there is a program that reduces the cost of childcare will help prepare our children better for their school age years. Instead of focusing on reading and writing at an early age in an effort to rush the childcare experience we can focus on nurturing the whole child, we can also offer more one on one time to the growing child, promote individualism, and create healthy routines. We can create a culture where the child has been raised/parented among mentors, role models, and  teachers at a very young age which will instill respect and admiration they have for adults in their community, because their community showed through their actions that indeed the well being of the child is of utmost importance to everyone that lives within it. When the child does enter the kindergarten classroom they have self confidence and the interest of wanting to learn new things that may involve seat work, in a developmentally appropriate way. Childcare is a support service that helps a family to meet their needs on many levels. Our In Home Childcare services can also include housekeeping duties, homework help, or assisting with homeschooling lessons. A Child-Family Focused Childcare Program knows that in order to meet the child's need we must also be meeting the needs of the family. 

                                                                           

           

I want our childcare conversations to change from "What is the hourly rate?" to "I am excited about being able to have a childcare experience for my children that caters to their needs!"  We can have these conversations by participating in a Nanny Share. What is a Nanny Share? A Nanny Share is when two or three families share the same nanny and share the costs. The nanny is a member of the community who is now being employed by the Nanny Agency who then contracts the nanny services to other community family members who end up increasing the nannies wages, and reducing their childcare cost at the same time. Your participation in a Nanny Share will improve the quality of life of a committed, well trained, early childhood educator and their family. The families and the early childhood educator are continuously giving back to the neighborhood. This childcare model will  increase job growth, offer job security and strengthen the economy. 

A Nanny Share is a great resource and opportunity to any family that would like to have a nanny as a childcare option. Childcare in our program is an extension of parenting and as a parent you should have the right to choose who spends time with your children. Children learn by what they see, not always by what we say so it is important for them to have trusting relationships with their caregivers that really know them well. In a childcare center the staff turnover ratio is usually high which prevents the relationship between the child and the caregiver from developing a bond. Intimacy is often never addressed when discussing childcare needs, and should be considered every step of the way. In a nanny share a Nanny may watch all of the children together or care for the family's children separately and at different times. There are a number of arrangements that can be made, which is based on the families involved in the nanny share. 

                                                                                 

The Geeked Out Nanny Agency works out all of the details of where, when, how, and what while setting up the nanny share for the families. We take our time to make sure that the family's parenting styles, philosophies, and ages of the children are compatible before any interviews between the families take place. Through face to face meetings, phone conversations, questionnaires, and our experience we match families together and create a loving childcare arrangement for all involved. We offer support services during the nanny share match up process and after the match has been successfully taken place. Some of our support services involve meeting with the families once every two months to make sure their childcare plan is going smoothly and to offer a substitute nanny if their nanny becomes ill , or goes on vacation. We recruit a diverse staff of nannies so that we match them up with our diverse families, and yes the families have a say in who they choose to have as their Nanny. Whether your family believes in play based learning, unschooling, or another educational method we are there to support your family's goals and to make sure everyday your children are engaging in a child led environment. Sometimes the Nanny Shares are just about scheduling and the families never will interact with each other on a daily basis. We also make your childcare experience easier by doing the contract between the families, and handling the payroll for your nanny. 

We envision neighboring houses in communities in all parts of the world actually getting their childcare needs through this community childcare model. A community that puts children first, and increases wages among their early childhood educators is  an awesome community to live in. If you are interested in participating in our Nanny Share Program give us a call at (517)708-0332, or email us at theworkplan1@gmail.com . You could also send your inquiry by using our Contact Form.