INA In-Home Child Care Definitions
There are a variety of terms for people who work in the home. Here are the definitions used by the International Nanny Association to describe various in-home child care jobs.
Babysitter
Provides supervisory, custodial care of children on a full-time or part-time basis. No special training or experience required.
Au Pair
Foreign national between the ages of 18-26 who enters the United States through the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Au Pair Exchange Program, to experience American life for up to 24 months (Au Pairs in good standing can apply to extend their initial 12 month visit an additional 6, 9 or 12 months). Au Pairs participate in the life of the host family by providing limited child care services (maximum 10 hours per day, 45 hours per week) and are compensated for their work according to the Fair Labor Standards Act. Au Pairs may not be placed in homes with infants three months of age or younger, unless a parent or responsible adult will be in the home supervising the Au Pair. An Au Pair may not be placed in the home with a child two years of age or younger unless they have 200 or more hours of documented child care experience.
Parent/Mother's Helper
Works for a family to provide full-time or part-time child care and domestic help for families in which one parent is home most of the time. May be left in charge of the children for brief periods of time. May or may not have previous child care experience.
Nanny
Employed by the family on either a live-in or live-out, part-time or full-time basis, to undertake all tasks related to the care of children. Duties are generally restricted to child care and the domestic tasks related to the children. May or may not have had formal training, though often have extensive child care experience and a background in early childhood education. Typically, full-time employed nannies will work 40–60 hours per week. Usually work unsupervised.
Nursery Nurse
The title is used in Great Britain for a person who has received special training and preparation in caring for young children. When employed by the family, she or he may live in or out of the home. A nursery nurse works independently and is responsible for everything related to the care of the children. Duties are generally restricted to child care and the domestic tasks related to child care. The work week is usually 50 to 60 hours per week. In addition to specialized training, the nursery nurse will also have successfully passed the national British certification examination of the Council for Awards in Children's Care and Education (CACHE), which is formerly referred to as the National Nursery Examination Board Certificate (NNEB). In the United States, the term "nurse" is reserved strictly for the medical profession (see below).
Newborn Care Specialist
In the United States, nannies are prohibited from using the titles "nursery nurse" or "baby nurse." The term "nurse" is reserved strictly for licensed medical professionals. In 2007, INA adopted the title "newborn care specialist" to describe a nanny who has specialized training and extensive experience in newborn care.
Governess
An educationally-qualified individual employed by families for the full-time or part-time private home education or tutoring of children. Functions as an educator and is not usually concerned with domestic tasks or the physical care of children.