Select a confinement nanny agency

Confinement nanny may be a small market, but there are still about 15 confinement agencies in the Singapore market. Although their core service is almost the same, they still differ from each other if you examine them closely. In this article, we hope to offer readers some guides or tips on selecting a good confinement nanny agency.

1. Free replacement and Ease of Replacement

Most of the confinement nanny agencies will offer free replacement of confinement nanny. (To you, it is not really free as you may need to pay $30 for application of work permit and extra red packet to be given to the replaced confinement nanny) Some confinement nanny agencies only allow one time of free replacement, some allows multiple times of free replacement. You should check the details with the confinement nanny agencies for terms and conditions.

You should check with confinement nanny agency about the procedure in replacing confinement nanny. This is to make sure the procedure does not sound complicated to you. Your baby and new mother need to be taken good care 24 hours a day. If the procedure is very complicated, it will create a lot of unnecessary trouble and unhappiness.

Some details to check with confinement nanny agency include: how long it will take for the replacement nanny to come once you confirmed that you want to change? will the confinement nanny agency send the replaced nanny to your house? Will the confinement nanny agency apply the work permit, collect the work permit on your behalf?

2. Licensed Confinement Nanny Agency

Part of the duty of confinement nanny agency is to help Malaysian confinement nanny apply a work permit.(It is illegal for confinement nanny to work with a social visit pass) Hence, it is important for you to engage a confinement nanny agency that is licensed by the Ministry of Manpower in Singapore.

Licensed confinement nanny agency will usually display their license number at the top of their website home page or bottom of their website home page. The license number will usually look like xxCxxxx, where x stands for numbers, for example 11C1111.

3. Number of year of establishment

If you prefer to deal with more established confinement nanny agency, you can check their license number, xxCxxxx, the first two digits represent the year of approval of license.

It should be noted that some confinement nanny agencies may have established before the year of approval of license as licensing system for confinement nanny agency only kick in not too long ago.  

New confinement nanny agency may not have built their reputation, but they may go extra mile to get your order and your recommendation.

4. Service Scope of confinement nanny agency

Confinement nanny agencies are supposed to apply work permit for nanny on your behalf. Make sure they also help you to extend the work permit if necessary and cancel the work permit once your confinement period is over.

Do remember to ask whether the administration fee for work permit is included or not in the package they quote you. The administration fee for work permit is $30.

5. Training of Nanny

Some confinement nanny agencies make it compulsory for confinement nannies to undergo training. This is to make sure their confinement ladies have the necessary skills to fulfill the requirement of the job.

Of course, many confinement nannies are mothers themselves, they already have first-hand experience in confinement.

6. Medical Checkup of confinement nanny

Confinement nannies will be in close contact with new mother who is weak after birth delivery. Furthermore, confinement nanny will also take good care of newborn 24 hours a day, it is therefore important for the confinement nanny to be healthy so that they will not pass any illness or disease to the new mother or newborn.

Some confinement nanny agencies make it compulsory for confinement nanny to do a medical checkup regularly.

7. Nanny job scope as defined by agency

Many nanny agencies have standardized the job scope of confinement nannies. You need to make sure the job scope can satisfy all your requirement. If it does not, you have to confirm with the agency whether the nanny is able to provide you with the service that you need, for example, massage of baby.

8. Fee

Money is always an important factor. Fee, excluding the red packet, is usually in the range of $2300 to $3000. Agency fee is usually included in the package.

However, for festival season like Chinese New Year, you may have to fork out more money.

Hope the above can help you to select a desired confinement nanny agency. 

Check confinement service out if you are looking for a confinement nanny.