Babysitter, nanny, or daycare mother - what is the difference?
In addition to nursery school or the day care centre, you can also have your child looked after by a babysitter, a nanny, or a day care mother. These types of childcare vary in a few ways. Read here what they are.
Babysitter - Flexible childcare at home
A babysitter looks after your children at home. The babysitting assignments are occasional, flexible and usually limited to a few hours. Many pupils, students and senior citizens babysit to earn some extra money on the side. There is no special training required for babysitters. However, experience in childcare and additional qualifications such as a first aid course or a special babysitting course are an advantage.
Good to know!
To create a profile as a babysitter on Babysitting24, minors must be at least 15 years old.
Nanny - Full-time childcare at home
A nanny (or a manny) also looks after your children at home. But, unlike babysitters, nannies must be of age. In addition, they do not work on call but regularly and are employed by the family under the social security scheme.
They also do some minor household chores. If nannies work an average of five hours or more per week, they are subject to the Standard Employment Contract for Housekeeping (Normalarbeitsvertrag für Hauswirtschaft (NAV)) and to minimum wage.
There is no obligatory training for this form of childcare. However, nannies can gain initial experience by taking a first aid course and a basic babysitting course. In some cantons, the Swiss Red Cross offers a training programme for nannies (e.g. the course for nannies in the Canton of Zurich).
Daycare mother - The alternative to a nursery school
Instead of a nursery school, you can have your child looked after by a daycare mother or a daycare family. Daycare mothers usually look after up to five children at their home. It is recommended for daycare mothers to complete a basic training in pedagogy and to pursue ongoing training. However, these qualifications are not required by law. Daycare mothers are often self-employed, but they can also be employed by a daycare association. This way, they can invoice more easily.
