My COVID Story: Louise Dunham
Recently Nanny Magazine had a chance to connect with Louise Dunham, CEO of Placement Solutions, based in Melbourne, Australia to learn how COVID has impacted the Australian nanny industry. Here’s what we learned.
How as COVID impacted the nanny industry in Australia?
Like the rest of the world, the nanny sector is feeling scared and scarred. Here in Melbourne, we have just started at Stage 4 lock down after two stage 3 lock downs. Both the Federal government- that is the Department of Education and the Victorian government- have brought in standards in the last few days that will greatly impact the free flow of nannies.
What are the current regulations involving nannies?
Nannies and babysitters can be utilized:
If they are already employed by a family or a government approved In home Childcare Labour Hire Firm, such as Placement Solutions
If the family is considered “vulnerable.”
If the family are “permitted workers”
If a ‘permitted worker “ is a sole parent
The rulings applies to nannies employed by an Agency such as ours, solo operators and private employed nannies, the onus being on being legally employed.
What is and who qualifies for a permitted worker permit?
Though there is still vagueness around the terms, we understand it to include:
Essential workers
Childcare permit for childcare workers
Childcare permits for vulnerable families and “permitted workers”
Are these regulations forcing families to sacrifice the quality of caregiver they have access to?
No, not on my watch. If anything, the inadvertent aftereffect is that cash in hand nannies will not have any government allowance. In addition a worker going to a cash in hand job after curfew or out of the 5 km from your home limit may be stopped and fined up to $20,000.00 if they cannot prove that they are a permitted worker.
Are nannies and babysitters differentiated when it comes to regulations?
Babysitters is an out of date term that refers to casual cash in hand workers. We use the terms nanny, educator, in home childcarer, and early learning in home care nanny, though my term of preference is nanny.
How are parents and nannies reacting to these regulations?
Parents who are “non permitted” are in tears and we are seeing lots of anger on social media from mums. There is a rush to obtain nannies as well, but it’s too late whilst we are enduring lock down. Our nannies are stoic, as expected. Our nannies are a tight knit team of nannies who attend professional development and value the importance of high quality care.
What is your best advice to Australian nannies at the moment?
For nannies based in Victoria, as other states are mostly free, this too shall pass. Our job is to keep children safe and to work together with our COVID safe plan. For families, to continue to appreciate and value the nannies that they have. The whole world has woken up to the reality that nannies and caregivers are often undervalued, underappreciated, and under paid. My hope is that an awareness comes out of this that makes it quite apparent that our work is as important to the GDP of our country as the work that others, such as miners do.