A Guide for Black Americans Moving Abroad

Got your dream job? Is  dream of moving abroad finally coming true? And with the family too! Congratulations! 

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I know, I know, there are a hundred things that you are worried about and the care of your child is the top most worry. 

Those hours that you will be at office or in meetings, who looks after your kids? In the new place, where do you even begin the search for someone perfect for the job? Well, let’s go through the process together.

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Before The Actual Search

Before diving into searching for the perfect nanny for your child(ren), a pre-assessment of your needs is required. Just like you do before undertaking any big decisions and did before your big move! So what assessments does this entails? 

What Does a Nanny Do? – If you are hiring a nanny for the first time ever, it is imperative to first do a quick research of the actual nanny duties so that everyone is on the same page and you do not over ask!

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 The Age of your Child – 

This  important to keep in mind before finding a nanny as you need someone who will be able to look after your child’s pediatric needs.is

Thisis important to keep in mind before finding a nanny as you need someone who will be able to look after your child’s pediatric needs.mportant to keep in mind before finding a nanny as you need someone who will be able to look after your child’s pediatric needs.

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Work Hours – How long do you really need the nanny for? If it is a full time nanny that you are looking for or a part-time one? Or are your timings ever changing around your schedule? 

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Devise a Chores List – What are the things you would require her to do? Are there things in particular you want your nanny to teach your child? Be sure to sketch this list out according to the needs of your family beforehand and discuss with all potential candidates.  For this, prepare a clearly defined (tentative) job description.

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Wage – Make a rough estimate, according to the country you are moving to, of the wage you can and are willing to pay the person you choose to hire. Keep a bracket amount in your budget in case of giving a raise or negotiating the expected income.

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Keep an open mind – You are entering a new phase of your life and it is a big change for not only you but your family too. Keeping an open mind about the different types of people you will now interact is paramount to having a good experience for all parties involved. Do not be fussy over the minor issues that can be ironed out over time. 

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Legal and Customs – Do a check on the legal requirements and customs of your new home country. This will help in bridging any communication gaps and will allow you to iron out the possible problems we just talked about. Maybe a thing or two are considered bad in the culture of your new nanny but you had previously added in your tentative job description. For legal, check the minimum age limits of workers and conditions of employees.

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Deciding the Pay

Here, take note of the most important step before the actual search. Search and search again regarding the legal minimum wage rates announced by the government of the country you are moving to! You want to be safe of any legal complications and at the same time not appear exploitative. Having read up on the wages offered to similar jobs in the new country is a bonus and will give you a reference point and a good stand when negotiating the pay you offer. Also, keep in mind the bonuses, sick days, leaves and working overtime etc. of the package you offer. Go through questions like will the pay be monthly, weekly or hourly rate as in most developing countries monthly wages are the norm. Go over the overtime rate that you would be willing to give.

If you are still not sure, a great idea is to ask around in your own community (family and friends) what they pay  their nannies in your home country and then eyeball an estimate which should be the minimum you set aside as a potential pay. Here, though, keep in mind the exchange rate of your country to the place you are moving to and inflation! 

Make sure to talk about all these points with both your partner and the candidate you are interviewing and consider having all of this in writing, even if that is not the norm in the locality you move to. 

Before You Land

Now that you are fully prepared, before you land in the country you are moving to, get to work on the internet and start searching for all the potential candidates to line up for interviews after you have arrived. Look for government affiliated training programs; non-governmental organizations that train and provide the nanny services. You might also want to look at job posting sites such as Glassdoor or the locally operated ones. College and universities job boards and local newspapers along with neighbors are another good way of looking for nannies but that can be done after you arrive at your destination.  

After Arriving

You have landed and cannot wait to begin exploring and settling but now the task of actual interviews and hiring lays ahead. Do not worry, you are almost there with the solid homework you did. 

Interview the chosen candidates that best match your and your child’s profile and needs. Make sure to ask for certificates or licenses of all the items you both agree on like a driving license, CPR certificate, police record, history of employment, etc. Ask for references and recommendations.

Make this more like a conversation than a strict professional interview, if possible, let the candidate interact with your child in front of you to see your child’s reactions to the potential contact person your child will be spending most of the time with. 

Once you are satisfied with everything, additionally, for further safety purposes run a trial period before offering a permanent position! 

And voila! You have a safe nanny when you move abroad. 

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