April 3, 2006
Baby-sitting is big business
Florida Today
BY ELESKA AUBESPIN
Laura Bradford is in high demand as a Brevard baby sitter. With a certificate of completion from Wuesthoff Medical Center's Safe Sitter class, the 18 year old comes with a wealth of knowledge.
A senior at Cocoa Beach Jr./Sr. High School, Bradford knows how to properly handle children who misbehave. She knows how to meet and greet parents interested in hiring her. More importantly, she knows how to administer CPR if a child stops breathing. And that makes her a valuable commodity in a community where parents are seeking well-trained sitters.
Bradford's mother, Melanie, knew the specialized training would be a baby-sitting boost when she insisted that her daughter take the class at age 12.
"When I was a baby sitter, I had a bad experience when a young girl choked, and I didn't know what to do," said Melanie Bradford of Rockledge. "I knew a baby-sitting class would prepare Laura for those types of situations. It also taught her responsibility."
Now, Bradford uses those skills to regularly baby-sit neighborhood children and for other families in the area. Nathan and Clayton Gindling of Viera have been customers for about two years.
On a recent night, Nathan, 7, and Clayton, 9, were entertained with a Pokemon story. While baby-sitting, Bradford also plays with the boys, sometimes taking them swimming, to the beach or outside in the yard to keep them active.
"That's probably one of the biggest challenges of baby-sitting," said Bradford, who will attend the University of Florida in the fall. "You have to try to keep the kids occupied so they don't get into trouble. You also have to distract them so they don't miss their parents."
These days, Brevard baby-sitters can command anywhere from $5 to $10 per hour, rates many parents are willing to pay for something critical: freedom. Plus, certified baby-sitters and those with excellent reputations offer another benefit: peace of mind.
Bradford usually charges between $5 and $7 per hour for two children. Melbourne mother Angela Handa, 38, pays $6 per hour to the sitter who watches her children, Kylie, 8, and Quinn, 6.
"I pay that amount because all the sitter has to do is watch a movie with them, make sure they brush their teeth, potty and go to bed," said Handa. "I'm not asking them to cook dinner or drive the kids anywhere. But I do have some friends who pay between $8 and $10 per hour for younger children."
Handa admits it can be tricky to find a great baby-sitter, especially one who is reliable and can come for a job at the last minute.
"It's certainly not the easiest thing to do, and the good ones that stick with you are not easy to come by," Handa said. "I think many teenage girls start to go out and may not be available on Friday and Saturday nights. I also think parents must be willing to pay more to make jobs more enticing to sitters."
Luckily for Handa, she has found not one good babysitter, but found two. One is a Brevard Community College student who even accompanied Handa and her husband, Sunny, on a trip to Mexico last year in order to baby-sit the children. The family paid the girl's trip expenses.
On a more casual basis, Handa uses Erin Wuchte, a freshman at West Shore Jr./Sr. High in Melbourne. The 14-year-old took a baby-sitting class through church and received training in safety and CPR.
"Honestly, I started baby-sitting because I needed some money to go to the movies and have fun with my friends," said Wuchte, a straight-A student. "Plus, I like kids."
Wuchte usually charges about $6 an hour, but admits older, experienced sitters usually garner more. When it comes to jobs, Wuchte depends on word-of-mouth, friends of the family and neighbors.
She has some tips for parents who are looking for a good sitter.
"Just watch how the sitter acts around the kids, find out if he or she is responsible by talking to past customers and if possible, meet the sitter's parents," Wuchte said.
Wuchte and Bradford both said teens entering the baby-sitting world should use good judgment when agreeing to help out parents. Look for safe situations where you feel comfortable. Start out by agreeing to jobs that have been referred to you by friends, neighbors and family. And, don't forget to take a baby-sitting course if possible.
Those courses are offered in Brevard by such places as HealthFirst, Wuesthoff Medical Center and the American Red Cross. They cover topics such as first aid, safety around the home, CPR, how to ask the right questions of parents and what to charge. Information offered in the courses can be critical, said Jason Ferrell, director of health and safety as the American Red Cross Space Coast Chapter.
"These classes are very much popular," Ferrell said. "Parents are almost requiring that people who are taking care of their children be trained. I think that's because parents are more aware that this training is out there and can train youth how to save a life and prevent injuries."
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October 27, 2005
Nanny Cam Captures Burglars In Act
Source: NBC11.com
The surveillance system caught three people knocking on the front door to make sure no one was home. Then, one man crawled in through an open window to let the others in.
Police said the crooks stole things that were easy to carry, including a laptop, guitars, electronics and savings bonds.
The homeowner had apparently stopped using his nanny cam and didn't realize until after the burglary that it might have caught the criminals in the act.
Police said getting a videotape of a burglary is a rare stroke of luck, and they hope the video will lead to the arrests of the three people.
The nanny cams were motion activated and switched on as the two men and one woman moved from room to room.
Posted by rex at 12:06 PM | TrackBack (0)
Parents urged to 'nanny-pool'
The Australian
By Caroline Overington
October 25, 2005
PARENTS unable to find affordable childcare should band together and hire registered nannies to look after their children in one of their own homes, Family Services Minister Kay Patterson said yesterday.
She said families who used this model for a small group of children would be eligible for the Government's childcare rebate of up to $4000 a year, which comes into effect next July.
"There are pockets of need in childcare, we acknowledge that," Senator Patterson said.
"We need some creative thinking. There are plenty of mothers who have been part of mothers groups or who meet at community centres who would be happy to form a group like this."
The model is a mix of two programs already funded by government: family daycare, where a childcare worker looks after children in the worker's own home; and in-home care where a registered nanny works in the child's home.
In-home care is currently available only in very limited circumstances, such as where the child is too disabled to attend a childcare centre, or where a mother is breastfeeding and working from home.
Senator Patterson's model also closely resembles nanny care, except the worker would care for children from more than one family.
The Government has previously resisted tax rebates for families who employ nannies, but John Howard last week indicated that he was open to the argument that parents who employ nannies should get the same rebates as parents who use childcare centres. Full story...
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August 12, 2005
Readers discuss nanny nightmare, do-over dads
Few issues challenge South Florida's workforce as much as childcare. The response came strong and swift to a recent column that detailed the extremes parents are engaging in to find and keep good nannies.
One working mother of two says she struggled with the nanny issue before finding another solution.
''In the past three years we have had four nannies (and another son),'' writes Cindy Syracuse of Miami. ``I have used two different Nanny Services, have tried online and there is always some hitch, some problem -- I just can't find Mary Poppins and I am convinced she doesn't exist.''
Syracuse's family found another solution. ``My husband and I made the radical decision for him to sell back his half of his own business and he would stay at home and be the nanny or Daddy Day Care as my 6-year-old calls it. . . . My sons are very happy, my husband is happy (but has never worked harder) and we are all adjusting really well. Full story...
Posted by rex at 2:09 PM
August 18, 2004
BBC slammed over nanny documentary
Education watchdogs have criticised the BBC over its handling of a new documentary raising concerns over the treatment of children in nurseries.
Ofsted said it was "disappointed" that it had not been informed of the TV programme after filming was completed earlier this year.
The body had only become aware of the programme when a parent in Stoke-on-Trent made contact four months later.
The corporation has already come under fire from parents and local education bosses who have accused it of causing a "lot of anxiety about nothing".
In Nurseries Undercover: The Real Story, shown on BBC1 on August 12, secret filming showed staff shouting at children.
Ofsted stepped in after the documentary allegedly found evidence of children being verbally abused, hygiene breaches and understaffing.
Four members of staff have been sacked and a fifth could face disciplinary action, Ofsted said today. Full Story...
Posted by rex at 12:16 PM
March 27, 2004
Que. nanny accused of shaking baby to death
A Montreal woman babysitting an infant girl who wouldn't stop crying has been accused of shaking the baby to death, police said Friday.
Milanie Baysa, 27, was looking after the six-month-old infant last week in the Montreal suburb of Dollard-des-Ormeaux while the baby's mother was out shopping, police said.
Shortly after the mother left, Baysa called her cellphone to say her baby was unwell and unconscious.
The mother immediately called 911 and the baby was taken to Montreal Children's Hospital, where she lay in critical condition for two days before dying.
Though there were no outward signs of trauma, an autopsy later revealed the signs of shaken baby syndrome.Full Story...
Posted by rex at 6:03 AM
March 24, 2004
Nanny charged in credit card scam
A nanny who allegedly used her employer's name to get a credit card and then used it to rack up almost $1,200 in charges was arrested after police recognized the employer's child while reviewing surveillance footage, court documents indicate.
Sarah Rose Galiardi, 22, of 1530 Clover Lane, York, will be arraigned in Adams County court after waiving a preliminary hearing last week. She was charged March 2 with single counts of forgery, access device fraud, theft by deception and identity theft.
In November, Galiardi used personal information she stole from her employer, Astrid Lopez-Goldberg of Germany Township, to open a Mastercard account, according to charging documents filed with District Justice Thomas R. Carr. Full Story...
Posted by rex at 12:59 PM
November 12, 2003
'Nanny Cams' Can Provide Peace Of Mind
Do you leave your toddler home with a baby sitter and wonder what goes on once you're gone? There are ways to record everything that goes on in your home without anyone knowing, and it can be perfectly legal.
In a case in Hollywood, Fla., a baby sitter is now behind bars after a hidden camera caught her abusing a 5-month-old baby girl. The baby sitter faces four counts of child abuse and the baby is doing fine. But security expert Tom Maier says such stories have prompted many parents to purchase "nanny cams."
"Sometimes it's for convalescent care for loved ones. They want to see who has come and gone from that house and what's happening inside the house while they have been gone," Maier said. Full Story...
Posted by rex at 5:40 AM
August 31, 2003
Nanny pleads guilty to assault on baby
The nanny accused of violently striking a Milford baby after her actions were caught on videotape pleaded guilty to assault yesterday, but her sentencing was postponed until she undergoes psychological evaluation.
Sara K. Cosby, 26, of 12 Tower St., Webster, will return to Milford District Court for sentencing on Sept. 25 after entering a guilty plea to assault and battery and assault and battery on a child. Full Story...
Posted by rex at 9:12 AM
August 14, 2003
Why granny is worse than a nanny
Working mothers who leave their toddlers with relatives may be putting their children's education at risk, it is claimed today.
Youngsters cared for by family members are more likely to go on to perform poorly at school than children with professional carers or stay-at-home mums, according to research.
The Bristol University study followed the development of 14,000 local youngsters, born in 1991 and 1992, as part of the ongoing Children of the 90s project.
It compared the employment of mothers in the first three years after birth with school test results of the same children up to the age of eight.
Researchers concluded that mothers who return to full-time employment within 18 months of the birth may damage their child's academic ability if they rely on non-professional carers. Full Story...
Posted by rex at 8:24 AM