Update:
The new Sutherland Shire based child-minding business that hires mature-aged older women as carers says it is also happy to give males a go, as well as people of other ages.
Fiona Cain, who has had a great response to her Gran Nannies Babysitting & Nanny Agency, was responding to a comment on the Leader Facebook page.
“We are more than happy to hire Mannies if they were to apply for the job position,” she wrote.
“And there is no specified age as such. Gran Nannies does stereotypically give off a grandma feel but this is just a name taken from what my children call their grandparents and I am all for giving the mature aged person a second chance to work.”
Earlier
Como mother-of-three Fiona Cain heard the complaints often as she chatted in the schoolyard with other mums.
Some young women are so unreliable for child minding, they would say.
They call up 15 minutes before they are due to be there to say they are not coming.
Or, if they do get there, they spend much of the time on their phone, rather than engaging with the children.
Those stories, together with her appreciation of the child-raising skills and experience of older women, including her mother and moth-in-law, led Ms Cain to set up a new Sutherland Shire-based business in early August.
Gran Nannies Babysitting & Nanny Agency employs mature aged women as carers.
Ms Cain said the response had been “massive”, and she was struggling to keep up with demand.
”Many older women are looking to return to the workforce in a limited way after finishing full-time work and raising their own families,” she said.
“At the same time, young parents are looking for child-minding for varying periods from carers, who are reliable and not on their phones texting all night.
”All the mums who are using our service are loving having mature, older women looking after their children.
“Older women are more reliable, more nurturing and want to do things with the children, like taking them to the park or other outdoor activities.
“I have some beautiful ladies working for me, and I have been interviewing for more.
”They are fully screened and have to meet certain requirements to become a Gran Nanny.”
Ms Cain said the name of the business, a registered company, derived from the names her children called her mother and mother-in law. The latter is among the team of Gran Nannies.
”There has been a lot of interest from parents who don’t have support from parents or grandparents,” she said.
”Just to get a couple of hours respite can be wonderful for them.
“We are also getting a big influx of people wanting before and after school care for next year because there is just not enough available in the shire.”
Ro, a Gran Nanny, said she was enjoying the role, which was a second job for her.
“I get to mind different children and am able to spend quality time with them, probably even more so than with my own three kids, who have grown up,” she said.
“When my kids were young, I was rushing around all the time.”.
Visit: grannannies.com.au
