Q. How long will it take before a babysitter accepts my booking request?
A. Once you pay the booking fee via credit card, your booking is then released to our babysitters in the specified region. In most cases, babysitting bookings can be accepted within minutes or hours. If a booking is unaccepted within a few days, we will re-release this out for you. If your babysitting booking is several weeks away, we follow the same process of re-releasing your booking. While we do everything we can to ensure each booking is filled, we cannot guarantee that all bookings will be. Please call if you have any concerns or questions.
Q. Can I meet the babysitter beforehand?
A. If you request this as part of your booking, please state this under the “special requests” section when submitting the booking. A booking in a minimum of three hours duration. Alternatively, you can request that the sitter arrive half an hour earlier than required to allow for introductions.
Q. Can I request a specific babysitter?
A. Yes, you can request a specific babysitter. In order to do so, you would need to call us on 0800 762 569/ 021 582 322 or email through your request to info@rockmybaby.co.nz
During normal office hours of Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm if possible.
We would then inform the babysitter that you have requested them. However, if the babysitter is unavailable, we would inform you and release it to other babysitters.
Q. Do you offer overnight babysitting/nannying?
A. Yes, some of our babysitters/nannies an do overnight stays. There are a limited number available for this service however, so it would be subject to babysitter/nanny availability. We recommend that you give Rockmybaby® plenty of notice for this service - please contact us directly. The booking fees are charged out for each 24-hour period.
Q. I don’t know the babysitters, how will I know my child(ren) will be safe?
A. All our babysitters brought through a rigorous recruitment process prior to approving them to accept bookings. We appreciate feedback from our families to ensure our quality of sitters remain at a high standard.
Q. Are all the nannies/babysitters screened?
A. Absolutely. Within NZ we have strict screening policies that demand we take responsibility in quality recruitment. All Rockmybaby® babysitters have been brought through a rigorous recruitment process involving an interview, reference checks, and police vetting. Our babysitters are required to hold a current Child First Aid certificate or be in the process of obtaining one. Babysitters must have a minimum of one year’s childcare experience and be 18 years or older. We conduct ongoing screening to keep our babysitters current and to ensure client safety.
Q. How many children can you have with one babysitter?
A. For safety reasons we recommend a 1:4 babysitter: child ratio. This will depend on the needs and ages of the children and if a parent is onsite. You can talk with one of our consultants to discuss your needs and we can help with ensuring you have all the babysitting cover you require.
Q. How do I pay the babysitter Candidate?
A. You pay between $18.00 - $20.00 per hour (depending on your location), in cash, directly to the babysitter on completion of the booking. Babysitters are responsible for paying their own tax in their declaration of earnings.
Q. What qualifications do your babysitters have?
A. Our babysitters have a variety of qualifications ranging from formal childcare/nanny qualifications, to life experience as mothers, grandmothers and experience caring for siblings/family. All babysitters must have a minimum of one year’s previous experience working with children. If you require a babysitter with a certain qualification such as maternity nursing, please state this in your booking. All babysitters either hold a current Child-Specific First Aid certificate or are in the process of obtaining one.
Q. Can the babysitter transport my child to and from activities? Or do I need to pay for travel to and from our location?
A. If you require your child to be transported, you will need to consider the organisation of car seats (if required). You'll need to state in your booking that the babysitter must have a full driver's licence and a legal vehicle. You will also need to reimburse the sitter .76c/km as per IRD guidelines. Please discuss with your babysitter how any travel arrangements will work. If you have a babysitting role in a remote location (i.e., a holiday home at a beach) you will more likely attract a babysitter candidate if you offer a travel allowance of .76c/km. This can be listed in the special requests section.
Q. What is a home-based childcare provider or home-based childcare?
A. A home-based childcare provider is licenced and funded to operate by the Ministry of Education for children aged 0-5 years. Families may enrol any pre-school aged child(ren) in the Rockmybaby® home-based education programme if the family meets the appropriate criteria and are in one of our licenced regions.
By participating in the home-based programme families can access government subsidies to reduce the cost of childcare.
There are no nanny placement fees to the family if they participate in the home-based education service. The family must complete the required enrolment forms and must supply the appropriate identity documents for any enrolled child(ren) within one week of placement of a nanny, otherwise full placement fees apply.
The operational funding to Rockmybaby® covers staff support to Nanny Educators/Home-based Educators and families with the delivery of the Rockmybaby® home-based education programme, and monthly visits from one of our qualified Visiting Teachers. It also covers the cost associated with activities and professional development.
Enrolment by a family in the Rockmybaby® home-based education programme is conditional on the family agreeing that a designated Rockmybaby® visiting teacher will visit the in-home care address of the family for the purpose of supporting the delivery of the Rockmybaby® home-based education programme, and the collection of original time sheets.
Q. How do I access a home-based nanny or educator?
A. If you live in Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Waikato or Hawke's Bay and you have a pre-school aged child(ren) in your home (you can have older children also) then you will be able to access our home-based programme. Contact us about your specific requirements, and we will place an advertisement on the Rockmybaby® website. Our team will then work with you to find suitable options, either for a nanny or home-based educator and help you through the recruitment and selection process. We will also support with information to see if you are eligible to access any government subsidies.
Q. What is the difference between a home-based nanny and home-based educator?
A. A home-based nanny works in your family home and is an employee of the family. They work for an hourly wage and are subject to employee deductions such as tax, ACC levies and Kiwi Saver. That said, a home-based nanny educator can also be a private contractor to the family. A home-based educator works in their own home and is a contractor and charges an hourly fee. They are self-employed. Both models work to child ratios 4:1 (4 pre-schoolers, one educator) with 2:1 (max 2 under the age of 2) in this mix. Where there are triplets under two years, this rule can be managed.
Q. Why would I choose a home-based nanny over a private nanny. What is the difference?
A. There is no charge for recruitment of a nanny when going through our home-based network. Additionally, there are many benefits to participating in the home-based programme. Your home-based nanny and child(ren) receive the benefit of guided support from one of our qualified Rockmybaby® visiting teachers around child behaviour, learning and development, and delivery of the termly early childhood education term focus involving resources and activities. Participating in the home-based programme also connects your nanny to to a wider nanny network.
If you choose a private nanny instead, your preschool aged child(ren) and nanny miss out on the benefits outlined above. It may be that you are unable to meet the criteria to pass a health and safety check in your home, or simply choose not to have the added visiting teacher monthly support visits. The nanny placement fee will therefore apply.
Q. What are benefits of the Rockmybaby home-based service?
- Free placement of an educator (Nanny or Home-based Educator).
- Monthly Visiting Teacher visits from one of our qualified early childhood practitioners to support your child’s learning and development programme.
- Free outings and organised events.
- Access to government childcare subsidies.
Q. What childcare subsidies are available?
A. Rockmybaby® home-based service is fully funded by the Ministry of Education enabling us to provide the following subsidies:
- Access to 20 Hours ECE for 3, 4, and 5 year olds not enrolled in school.
- Access to Work and Income childcare subsidies
- Multibirth, ELP, ACC Home Help.
Talk with one of our consultants to see what you may be eligible for.
Q. What am I required to do in order to pass a health and safety check on my home?
A. One of our Visiting Teachers will contact you to arrange a time to do a health and safety check around the home which may take an hour. Communal areas and children’s rooms will be checked to make sure they meet the Homebased Childcare Regulations 2008. Some modifications, such as fixing cabinets to the wall (earthquake proofing) and covering electrical sockets (shocks) may be required. Most homes will meet the criteria, although we may sometimes suggest some changes to layout or management of potential hazards. This is done in a way that makes the home a safer environment for your child and educator and is of benefit to you all!
Q. What are the expectations of my chosen nanny or home- based educator?
A. The nanny/educator will need to participate in the educational programme. This includes educational planning for each child (a planning page is filled in alongside the Senior Visiting Teacher), monthly learning stories or written documentation of child/ren’s learning, daily journal to be filled in each working day, timesheets filled in and collected on a monthly basis. The nanny or educator must have current Child First Aid certificate or undertake training within three months of starting the role to renew or obtain.
Q. Do you facilitate my home-based educator’s pay?
A. We can take care of your home-based educators contractor payments in-house including your family payments and any government subsidies you may be eligible for. As a nanny family you can opt in to use our preferred external payroll provider, Ipayroll. This would then take care of all your employee deduction needs and Rockmybaby® would pass any subsidies that you may be eligible for directly on to you.
Q. If I find my own nanny, can I bring her on to the programme?
A. Absolutely. We call this a self-match. We would bring your self-match nanny through our full recruitment process, free of charge, for your peace of mind. This would allow you to participate in the home-based education programme and benefit from any subsidies that you might be eligible for.
Q. How do you identify who is a good home-based educator match for me?
A. We won’t just ask what hours or location you need. We know there are many more things we need to ask in order to uncover your ‘deeper’ childcare needs. Once we do, we will put forward home-based educator options that suit your family requirements/values. You would then have the option of hand selecting home-based educator candidates from these.
Q. What qualifications do your home-based educators have?
A. Educators must hold a minimum Child First Aid Certificate. Many of our educators are also formally qualified as nannies or have Early Childhood Education (ECE) qualifications. We have former ECE teachers working as home-based educators, others are nurses, mothers, or grandmothers. We continually offer professional development to our educators to ensure they are providing quality education and care to children. All our home-based educators follow the NZ ECE curriculum Te Whaariki and Homebased Care Regulations 2008, to ensure we are operating quality service. We are also monitored by the Ministry of Education.
Q. What is the cost of a homebased Educator?
A. Costs are dependant of regions, qualifications, experience and what activities or programmes they offer. Rates vary by region and range between $6 and $10, however childcare subsidies can reduce this cost.
Q. How long will it take before a babysitter accepts my booking request?
A. Once you pay the booking fee via credit card, your booking is then released to our babysitters in the specified region. In most cases, babysitting bookings can be accepted within minutes or hours. If a booking is unaccepted within a few days, we will re-release this out for you. If your babysitting booking is several weeks away, we follow the same process of re-releasing your booking. While we do everything we can to ensure each booking is filled, we cannot guarantee that all bookings will be. Please call if you have any concerns or questions.
Q. Can I meet the babysitter beforehand?
A. If you request this as part of your booking, please state this under the “special requests” section when submitting the booking. A booking in a minimum of three hours duration. Alternatively, you can request that the sitter arrive half an hour earlier than required to allow for introductions.
Q. Can I request a specific babysitter?
A. Yes, you can request a specific babysitter. In order to do so, you would need to call us on 0800 762 569/ 021 582 322 or email through your request to info@rockmybaby.co.nz
During normal office hours of Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm if possible.
We would then inform the babysitter that you have requested them. However, if the babysitter is unavailable, we would inform you and release it to other babysitters.
Q. Do you offer overnight babysitting/nannying?
A. Yes, some of our babysitters/nannies an do overnight stays. There are a limited number available for this service however, so it would be subject to babysitter/nanny availability. We recommend that you give Rockmybaby® plenty of notice for this service - please contact us directly. The booking fees are charged out for each 24-hour period.
Q. I don’t know the babysitters, how will I know my child(ren) will be safe?
A. All our babysitters brought through a rigorous recruitment process prior to approving them to accept bookings. We appreciate feedback from our families to ensure our quality of sitters remain at a high standard.
Q. Are all the nannies/babysitters screened?
A. Absolutely. Within NZ we have strict screening policies that demand we take responsibility in quality recruitment. All Rockmybaby® babysitters have been brought through a rigorous recruitment process involving an interview, reference checks, and police vetting. Our babysitters are required to hold a current Child First Aid certificate or be in the process of obtaining one. Babysitters must have a minimum of one year’s childcare experience and be 18 years or older. We conduct ongoing screening to keep our babysitters current and to ensure client safety.
Q. How many children can you have with one babysitter?
A. For safety reasons we recommend a 1:4 babysitter: child ratio. This will depend on the needs and ages of the children and if a parent is onsite. You can talk with one of our consultants to discuss your needs and we can help with ensuring you have all the babysitting cover you require.
Q. How do I pay the babysitter Candidate?
A. You pay between $18.00 - $20.00 per hour (depending on your location), in cash, directly to the babysitter on completion of the booking. Babysitters are responsible for paying their own tax in their declaration of earnings.
Q. What qualifications do your babysitters have?
A. Our babysitters have a variety of qualifications ranging from formal childcare/nanny qualifications, to life experience as mothers, grandmothers and experience caring for siblings/family. All babysitters must have a minimum of one year’s previous experience working with children. If you require a babysitter with a certain qualification such as maternity nursing, please state this in your booking. All babysitters either hold a current Child-Specific First Aid certificate or are in the process of obtaining one.
Q. Can the babysitter transport my child to and from activities? Or do I need to pay for travel to and from our location?
A. If you require your child to be transported, you will need to consider the organisation of car seats (if required). You'll need to state in your booking that the babysitter must have a full driver's licence and a legal vehicle. You will also need to reimburse the sitter .76c/km as per IRD guidelines. Please discuss with your babysitter how any travel arrangements will work. If you have a babysitting role in a remote location (i.e., a holiday home at a beach) you will more likely attract a babysitter candidate if you offer a travel allowance of .76c/km. This can be listed in the special requests section.
Q. What is a home-based childcare provider or home-based childcare?
A. A home-based childcare provider is licenced and funded to operate by the Ministry of Education for children aged 0-5 years. Families may enrol any pre-school aged child(ren) in the Rockmybaby® home-based education programme if the family meets the appropriate criteria and are in one of our licenced regions.
By participating in the home-based programme families can access government subsidies to reduce the cost of childcare.
There are no nanny placement fees to the family if they participate in the home-based education service. The family must complete the required enrolment forms and must supply the appropriate identity documents for any enrolled child(ren) within one week of placement of a nanny, otherwise full placement fees apply.
The operational funding to Rockmybaby® covers staff support to Nanny Educators/Home-based Educators and families with the delivery of the Rockmybaby® home-based education programme, and monthly visits from one of our qualified Visiting Teachers. It also covers the cost associated with activities and professional development.
Enrolment by a family in the Rockmybaby® home-based education programme is conditional on the family agreeing that a designated Rockmybaby® visiting teacher will visit the in-home care address of the family for the purpose of supporting the delivery of the Rockmybaby® home-based education programme, and the collection of original time sheets.
Q. How do I access a home-based nanny or educator?
A. If you live in Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Waikato or Hawke's Bay and you have a pre-school aged child(ren) in your home (you can have older children also) then you will be able to access our home-based programme. Contact us about your specific requirements, and we will place an advertisement on the Rockmybaby® website. Our team will then work with you to find suitable options, either for a nanny or home-based educator and help you through the recruitment and selection process. We will also support with information to see if you are eligible to access any government subsidies.
Q. What is the difference between a home-based nanny and home-based educator?
A. A home-based nanny works in your family home and is an employee of the family. They work for an hourly wage and are subject to employee deductions such as tax, ACC levies and Kiwi Saver. That said, a home-based nanny educator can also be a private contractor to the family. A home-based educator works in their own home and is a contractor and charges an hourly fee. They are self-employed. Both models work to child ratios 4:1 (4 pre-schoolers, one educator) with 2:1 (max 2 under the age of 2) in this mix. Where there are triplets under two years, this rule can be managed.
Q. Why would I choose a home-based nanny over a private nanny. What is the difference?
A. There is no charge for recruitment of a nanny when going through our home-based network. Additionally, there are many benefits to participating in the home-based programme. Your home-based nanny and child(ren) receive the benefit of guided support from one of our qualified Rockmybaby® visiting teachers around child behaviour, learning and development, and delivery of the termly early childhood education term focus involving resources and activities. Participating in the home-based programme also connects your nanny to to a wider nanny network.
If you choose a private nanny instead, your preschool aged child(ren) and nanny miss out on the benefits outlined above. It may be that you are unable to meet the criteria to pass a health and safety check in your home, or simply choose not to have the added visiting teacher monthly support visits. The nanny placement fee will therefore apply.
Q. What are benefits of the Rockmybaby home-based service?
- Free placement of an educator (Nanny or Home-based Educator).
- Monthly Visiting Teacher visits from one of our qualified early childhood practitioners to support your child’s learning and development programme.
- Free outings and organised events.
- Access to government childcare subsidies.
Q. What childcare subsidies are available?
A. Rockmybaby® home-based service is fully funded by the Ministry of Education enabling us to provide the following subsidies:
- Access to 20 Hours ECE for 3, 4, and 5 year olds not enrolled in school.
- Access to Work and Income childcare subsidies
- Multibirth, ELP, ACC Home Help.
Talk with one of our consultants to see what you may be eligible for.
Q. What am I required to do in order to pass a health and safety check on my home?
A. One of our Visiting Teachers will contact you to arrange a time to do a health and safety check around the home which may take an hour. Communal areas and children’s rooms will be checked to make sure they meet the Homebased Childcare Regulations 2008. Some modifications, such as fixing cabinets to the wall (earthquake proofing) and covering electrical sockets (shocks) may be required. Most homes will meet the criteria, although we may sometimes suggest some changes to layout or management of potential hazards. This is done in a way that makes the home a safer environment for your child and educator and is of benefit to you all!
Q. What are the expectations of my chosen nanny or home- based educator?
A. The nanny/educator will need to participate in the educational programme. This includes educational planning for each child (a planning page is filled in alongside the Senior Visiting Teacher), monthly learning stories or written documentation of child/ren’s learning, daily journal to be filled in each working day, timesheets filled in and collected on a monthly basis. The nanny or educator must have current Child First Aid certificate or undertake training within three months of starting the role to renew or obtain.
Q. Do you facilitate my home-based educator’s pay?
A. We can take care of your home-based educators contractor payments in-house including your family payments and any government subsidies you may be eligible for. As a nanny family you can opt in to use our preferred external payroll provider, Ipayroll. This would then take care of all your employee deduction needs and Rockmybaby® would pass any subsidies that you may be eligible for directly on to you.
Q. If I find my own nanny, can I bring her on to the programme?
A. Absolutely. We call this a self-match. We would bring your self-match nanny through our full recruitment process, free of charge, for your peace of mind. This would allow you to participate in the home-based education programme and benefit from any subsidies that you might be eligible for.
Q. How do you identify who is a good home-based educator match for me?
A. We won’t just ask what hours or location you need. We know there are many more things we need to ask in order to uncover your ‘deeper’ childcare needs. Once we do, we will put forward home-based educator options that suit your family requirements/values. You would then have the option of hand selecting home-based educator candidates from these.
Q. What qualifications do your home-based educators have?
A. Educators must hold a minimum Child First Aid Certificate. Many of our educators are also formally qualified as nannies or have Early Childhood Education (ECE) qualifications. We have former ECE teachers working as home-based educators, others are nurses, mothers, or grandmothers. We continually offer professional development to our educators to ensure they are providing quality education and care to children. All our home-based educators follow the NZ ECE curriculum Te Whaariki and Homebased Care Regulations 2008, to ensure we are operating quality service. We are also monitored by the Ministry of Education.
Q. What is the cost of a homebased Educator?
A. Costs are dependant of regions, qualifications, experience and what activities or programmes they offer. Rates vary by region and range between $6 and $10, however childcare subsidies can reduce this cost.