The agency had many applications to choose from. Your decision was based on a picture and an open letter written by the applicant. You couldn't conduct a personal interview so the choice was difficult. After paying a registration fee to the agency, I filled out some government application forms. The agency was good at helping me with the forms. The nanny paid for her own visa and transportation. I was obligated to write a letter to the nanny in order to get to know her. After all the papers were processed, my nanny arrived 4 months later.
The agency made the nanny sign an employment contract which included 2 days off a week. She was also obligated to babysit two nights week if the family requested it. (I found out later that this agency was violating the labor code with the 2 nights a week requirement.)
My nanny Lynn was very happy to be in Canada because she came from a poor country and wanted a better life. Many of her friends were already here in the same city and had rented an apartment downtown. Every weekend the group of them stayed at their apartment. It gave our family some breathing space too.
Having a nanny was certainly a great help to me. The children were well-cared for and my house was sparkling clean. I didn't have to pack them off to daycare every morning and pick them up every night. I came home and supper was waiting for me.
When Lynn's two-year contract was finished, she decided to work for a family who lived downtown. She could apply for immigrant status and work as a live-out nanny. I didn't apply for another nanny and enrolled my boys in full-time daycare.
When my third son was born, I decided to try a nanny again. It was considerably cheaper to have a nanny, knowing that my time would be stretched even more. This time I hired a nanny from Europe. Dagmar was a hard-working lady who loved children. Unlike the first nanny, she came to Canada to learn about our culture and explore the country. She did not have any friends here so she was lonely. Soon she started to meet the neighbours and joined a local judo club. After a year she got homesick and went back.
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