As parents we know how challenging can be when you don’t have family around and you’re lacking support on the logistics. You feel like you need some help but you don’t know where to start. It becomes extra challenging if you’re looking for a nanny that speaks a specific language or has any other specific requirements.
In this article, we’re going to throw some light around how to find a nanny in Barcelona, the one that meets your needs as a family.
Depending on your needs and budget, you might be looking for a nanny, babysitter or an au pair.
Let’s see the difference between them:
1. Nanny - They work with families on a regular basis on a daily or night routine. There are different types of nannies focusing on different areas depending on their skills and the family needs.
a) Professionals with certified child care or nanny qualifications: they provide great support on the education of the kids, making use of their pedagogic skills. They spend quite some time with the family, travelling with them if required and depending on their needs, they might help with some tasks at home.
b) Multifaceted profile: they support families in the daily logistics both looking after their kids or helping with housekeeping tasks. This profile is mostly needed by families that need support on picking up their kids from school and doing some tasks at home such as cooking or light cleaning before they arrive home from work.
2. Babysitter - it’s mostly related to occasional caring services, paid per hour. You might need one if you’re going out for dinner or your kid gets sick and you can’t take some time off at work.
3. Au pair - An Au pair is a young person who lives with the family, helps the care of the kids and does some light housework in order to improve their language skills. It’s quite common amongst students over the summer.
Although these are the meaning of the terms, there’s normally some confusion around them and they’re being misused in different situations.
For simplicity reasons, I will regularly talk about nannies in this article although it can relate to all three of them in general terms. I will mention the cases where not.
Challenges of finding a nanny in Barcelona that speaks English and meets your requirements
Let’s face it, finding a nanny is not an easy task. You want to feel confident that you’re leaving your kid in good hands. Someone you can trust, a good match for your kid. Someone with whom she/he would enjoy the time and feel comfortable with. You might also have some specific requirements around nationality or language and you're not sure how feasible it's to find them in Barcelona.
It’s extra sensitive, if you have a little baby and it’s the first time you’re leaving her/him with someone else.
Let’s see some options available in the city for you that will help you feel at ease.
How to find the right nanny for your family in Barcelona
One of the most common requirements when looking for a nanny are references which can be most reassuring.
Having references from other families is the feedback you need. It gives you information about that person's skills, personality and if she/he is the right match for your kid. It gives you the confidence that it’s a safe option.
One of the easiest ways to get references is through
FACEBOOK GROUPS - They’re very resourceful when you’re looking for feedback from other families. There are plenty of questions and recommendations related to nannies and babysitters in these groups - either because they’re moving and they’re recommending theirs or because they’re in need of someone.
Most of the profiles shared are multifaceted ones, nannies that help look after their kids and do some tasks at home such as cooking or light cleaning.
I find these groups very useful especially those which are family oriented and very active. Here is a list handy for you if you have a family and live in Barcelona.
Barcelona Babies & Kids (+6,600 members) - this is the most active and helpful group I’ve experienced so far. A group of international and local families that live in Barcelona and share their knowledge and experience . You can only access through an invite of a member. If you would like to join, contact us (email or WhatsApp) and we’ll help you with the access.
English speaking parents in Barcelona (+3,000 members) - it’s a bit less active and has fewer members but it’s also quite resourceful if you’re looking for advice.
International families in Spain (+1,600 members) - created and hosted by Mumabroad. You will find all relevant information for families living in Barcelona and other places in Spain. They do interviews with professionals and give useful tips.
Apart from these general Barcelona groups, there are some specific ones to each of the neighbourhoods in the city that tend to be very handy and active. Search for them on Facebook because they are very useful.
Do you want to connect with other families, get the feedback first hand?
We’re organising some events to help you find your community. Join us for more details and you will receive a complete guide that we have created around nannies in Barcelona.
Agencies to look for nannies in Barcelona
There are several agencies that provide nanny services in Barcelona.
Some of them provide a broad offering including permanent, monthly or occasional bookings as well as tutoring services. Some others specialised in certain types of profile such as full time and long term openings with specific qualifications.
There are some other agencies that focus on hotel and occasional bookings specially suitable for those who come to Barcelona on holidays and need some free time. We will be talking about them in another specific article.
Let’s see a couple of agencies with very different profiles:
Aysú bcn - Cristina is the founder, a very kind and loving person who has a special connection with kids. She’s a psychotherapist specialized in Cognition and Behavior and she loves empowering kids to understand their emotions and show them tools to deal with them.
She has experience in both kindergarten and International School in Barcelona which gave her a great sense of what International families are looking for in the city. Something she keeps in mind when recruiting candidates and interviews them personally.
The offering of Aysú bcn is very broad including full time, part time, before/after school nanny, as well as babysitting occasional appointments. Most families are looking for someone who can spend time with their kids and help at home until they arrive home from work.
She cares deeply about the well being of the families of both adults and kids, and she provides several services apart from the nanny ones to help families feel at ease. She organises summer camps focused on emotional accompaniment to kids, offers therapy sessions from child to adult therapy as well as family counseling amongst others.
You can find more details about her here.
International nanny - Zaida is the founder and by talking to her, you clearly sense the mission and values of International nanny. She cares very deeply about the professional development of the nannies, the importance and influence of their roles in the education of the kids and the need of building a professional and solid relationship between the nannies and the families.
She provides qualified, experienced and bilingual candidates. She works hard to ensure that candidates meet the certified standards (child care education or nanny qualifications amongst others) and focuses on families that are looking for parenting partners, with long term contracts and minimum hours per week.
She helps families along the process of finding the right fit for them, depending on what they’re looking for and their preferences. She has lived abroad many years, has high standards and a clear understanding of what families are looking for. International nanny operates around the globe and they’re very reliable and trustworthy.
These are some of the options available in Barcelona but there’s more to it!
Do you want to know more? Leave us your email and we’ll send you a downloadable guide you can’t miss!
We have created a very resourceful guide including
The key method to find the right nanny for your family
Questions to raise during the interview with the candidate
Other ways of finding a nanny in Barcelona apart from the options mentioned in this post
And all the information from this post extended with new details.
Do you feel like you could do with some personalised support to find the nanny you need? We’re here to help - contact us!