No matter what kind of child care job you’re considering — whether it’s working as a nanny, au pair, mother’s helper, or babysitter — you’ll first need to make sure that you can work well with both the child you will care for and their parents. You’ll also need to make sure that you’re comfortable with all of the job requirements and conditions.
Once you’ve checked all of these boxes off, your next step is to create a written child care contract that clarifies both yours and your employer’s expectations. Additionally, you’ll want to check in frequently with your employer to make sure that your job is meeting your own needs, as well as theirs.
Tips for Creating a Child Care Contract
An effective contract should include:
- What you will be expected to do each day;
- Provisions for sick or vacation days;
- Specification of how you will be paid, at what rate, and how often;
- The hours you will work, and whether or not they will vary from week to week;
- The length of employment (e.g., Is it for one month, one year, or open-ended?);
- How much notice either party expects for changing hours or schedules;
- Information about handling taxes, health, and other benefit payments;
- What terms will be required to end the contract, such as a verbal warning, then a warning letter, before any termination action is taken;
- Exactly what privileges you will have, if any, such as use of the internet, phone, car, or TV;
- If you’ll be driving the child, information on which car to use, what to do about gas purchases, etc.
Here are some Care.com articles that includes templates and tips for creating different types of child care contracts:
Create Your Communication Strategy
It will be very helpful to set up a specific plan for how frequently you will meet with your employer to discuss how the job is going for both of you.
- Consider Starting Your Job on a Trial Basis: Two weeks to one month is a good length for a trial, since the child will need more than a week to adjust to the new routine — not to mention, you! Only after the adjustment period will you be able to tell if you and the child will do well together, as well as if you and your employer will get along.
- Establish a Clear Process for Communication: Do you prefer to communicate with your employer in person or by phone? Set up a communication schedule so that you can resolve any issues that arise. The goal is for you to be comfortable on the job and for your employer to be comfortable with your performance. Raise any aspects of the job that are uncomfortable for you and see if you and the employer can resolve them. Listen carefully to any issues your employer has and come up with a mutually agreed-upon plan to resolve them.
- Establish a Protocol for Emergencies: Know what to do in case of emergencies. Have your employer create and fill out an Emergency Child Care Checklist. And have a backup plan (and a backup to the backup plan), as well.
Good communication is the key to any positive job experience. Keeping to the agreed-upon communication schedule with your employer will help you to be clear about her expectations and her to be aware of yours. Working together, you can create a job that you can succeed at and enjoy and that will meet your employer’s needs, as well!
Originally written by Ronnie Friedland. Updated by Latasha Doyle on 19 June 2017.
