What is the difference between a Nanny, a babysitter, a Family Assistant, an au pair and a childminder?

Not everyone knows the differences between the various forms of childcare at home. We take you through the difference between a Nanny, a babysitter, a Family Assistant, an au pair and a childminder. This way you can make a well considered choice for the childcare that best suits your wishes and needs.

A Nanny works full time (or part time if you prefer) for one family. She takes on the care and upbringing of the children when the parents are away. Unlike a babysitter, the Nanny also carries out organisational work and light household tasks. A Nanny takes the children to school, arranges appointments for the children, cooks, does the shopping and takes the children to their clubs. When you come home, you can expect the house to be tidy and you do not have to start cooking and cleaning straight away. That way you can give your children your full attention when you are at home. Nannies who work through TFA are carefully screened, trained in child development and hold a relevant qualification. This guarantees quality, reliability and discretion.

Read more about the tasks of a Nanny here.

A babysitter is generally not thoroughly screened and does not need extensive experience or a background and training in child development. Experience is not even required to call yourself a ‘babysitter’. A babysitter often stays with a family for a shorter period and also has school, studies or other part time jobs alongside. She is therefore not always available when you need help. Does a timetable change? Then the schedule you agreed with the babysitter changes too. In addition, a babysitter usually does little or no housework and has fewer responsibilities than a Nanny.

An au pair usually comes to the Netherlands from abroad to work with one family for a while (a maximum of one year). Unlike a Nanny, an au pair also lives in with you. Unlike a Nanny or Family Assistant, who can stay employed for several years, the au pair always leaves again at the end of the year. Like a Nanny, the au pair also takes caring and household tasks off your hands. The advantage of an au pair is that she is often available in the evenings as well. The costs of an au pair from abroad are also often lower than those of a Dutch Nanny. The disadvantage is that you have little privacy as a family. You need the desire, space and time to invest in an au pair who leaves again after a year. An au pair also often does not speak Dutch, so you will have to communicate in English. That is often quite a challenge for the children.

A childminder offers small scale childcare in a familiar, homely setting. Sometimes this can be the parents’ home, but usually it is the childminder’s own home. A childminder usually has several children in her care. The childminder focuses purely on caring for the children and does not carry out household tasks for your family. Childminders must meet the requirements of the Dutch Childcare Act (wet Kinderopvang), which means, among other things, that they are registered in the National Childcare Register (Landelijk Register Kinderopvang), hold a certificate of good conduct (VOG), and meet certain training and quality standards.

Like a Nanny, a Family Assistant works full time for one family. Alongside caring for the children and the household, the Family Assistant also takes on organisational and managing tasks. She sometimes also helps out as a PA in the business of one of the parents. The Family Assistant books trips, outings and dental appointments and manages the family calendar. Exactly which tasks a Family Assistant carries out depends on your wishes and needs. Our Family Assistants are also thoroughly screened and have extensive experience in organising. So you can be sure that everything in and around your family keeps running when you are not there.

Read more about the work and tasks of a Family Assistant here.

The Family Assistant matches Nannies and Family Assistants with busy families. Would you also like a calmer, more relaxed family life? We would be delighted to help you find the perfect match.

Get in touch with us to discuss the possibilities.