It’s important to be able to make a distinction between au pairs and childminders. Both will help you with your childcare, but with key differences – a childminder is a professional who will work set hours, and will be highly trained and qualified to look after children. By contrast, an au pair is a young person who will assist around the home in exchange for room and board when studying, and is typically from overseas. When looking at the differences between au pairs and childminders, it’s necessary to think about basic duties, costs, and flexibility.
Basic Duties
A childminder is a licensed professional, who usually works from home, and looks after children while their parents are at work. Childminders have to be registered and inspected by Ofsted, and have to be accredited to the Care and Social Services Inspector in Wales when looking after children under the age of 8. Most childminders will look after children under the age of 8, and can take on 6 at a time. For children over the age of 7, the same registrations are not needed, although they should ideally be registered with Ofsted. Childminders will have a set up in their home where they can play games and help children with their education – they may have NVQ qualifications in child care, and typically have their own small children. Reports can also be given to parents on what activities are carried out, and what diets are followed.
An au pair is a different kind of carer, one that is usually 18-27 years of age, and from a European or other overseas country; they live with you while studying or learning about a new country, and work about 30 hours a week. These hours are, however, very flexible, and a pairs are not expected to complete heavy housework, and aren’t allowed to look after children under the age of 2.
Costs
Au pairs do not receive a full wage, but instead have their bed and board covered, and receive a weekly wage of stipend, which is typically somewhere between £70 and £100. The cost of an au pair also relates to their contribution to energy usage within the home, and their participation in meals and family trips. You have to pay tax on au pair payments if they are over a certain amount.
Childminders can be paid about £4.26 or more an hour, and can work 6–8 hour days during the week and weekends. Depending on how many children of yours they’re looking after, the costs for maintaining a high quality contract with a childminder can be quite substantial, and represents a significant commitment.
Flexibility
The main advantage that a pairs have over childminders is that they’re much more flexible with their time. Living in your house, an a pair is able to carry out any tasks at short notice, and can also help out with early morning drives to school, while being around to help out at weekends (although a pairs are usually given weekends off). Another option is a nanny, which can cost even more than a childminder, but can be a live in worker who will do more housework and childcare. When choosing childcare, it’s important, then, to remember that an a pair is not a substitute for a more expensive childminder, but rather act as an extra pair of hands around the house.