New online service shows parents that nannies can be an affordable and flexible alternative to nursery care

Many leading experts, such as Steve Biddulph, believe that in the absence of the child’s mother, children are best left with a relative or quality nanny or childminder who can offer loving care in a home environment. Many families no longer have the luxury of extended family living nearby, and as recent surveys have shown, nannies can be a very expensive alternative. But what alternatives are working parents really faced with?

One solution is to consider a nanny-share, but many parents do now know where to start.

SharingCare.co.uk has been established to help parents facing this very issue – the site puts local families in touch with each other with a view to them sharing a nanny. It provides an online community network; matching families with similar childcare requirements, it enables them to employ a nanny between them and split the cost, offering the flexibility and security of a nanny at a fraction of the cost.

Jim Stoner was delighted with the service, “Our nanny share has now started and is going really well and the fact that we found the other family is entirely down to SharingCare. I think it’s a great idea and would definitely recommend the site to others.”

Jodi Chen was equally pleased, “SharingCare puts you in touch with people near to you with the same childcare needs. It is a great form of networking and helped me to solve the very tricky problem of getting the right type of care for my precious daughter.”

Zoe Sinclair has a similar story. Zoe was working part-time and required childcare 3 or 4 mornings a week. Zoe found the nanny she wanted to employ, but like most nannies, Yveta was looking for more hours. Zoe used the SharingCare site to try and find another family to share her nanny. It worked - Yveta now works for Zoe in the mornings and for another family in the afternoons, picking the children up from school and helping with homework until mum gets home. Both mums have the flexible care they need and share the costs between them.

Don’t take their word for it – have a look for yourself! For more information about sharing a nanny or to try a search in your area, Click here