International Nannies on YouTube
In keeping with the modern times, an introduction to the services provided by International Nannies and Homecare is now available on YouTube.
Please take the time to view our newest video:
International Nannies on YouTube
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Nanny nation: From the Philippines, with love
January 06, 2012 from thestar.com
According to Citizenship and Immigration Canada, more than 150,000 foreign workers enter the country every year to work temporarily in jobs that help Canadian employers address skill shortages, or to work as live-in caregivers.
The federal Live-In Caregiver Program was created to address shortages for child and elder care. Most of the foreign workers who enter Canada under this program are Filipinos, and most work as nannies.
The sight of a Filipino nanny with young charges in tow is ubiquitous in GTA parks, libraries and drop-in centres. Many of these nannies are the key money-earners for their families back home in the Philippines.
After two years working here, most nannies qualify to apply for permanent resident status, a step on the road to eventual Canadian citizenship. For many, the goal is to sponsor their families as would-be immigrants, in hope of family reunification in Canada.
Melchizedek Maquiso followed this familiar path. After childhood with his academic parents in the university and science city of Munoz, about four hours north of Manila, Maquiso lived in various Manila suburbs. In 2007, at age 27, he came here to work as a nanny.
“I’m not the only one. I’ve met other male nannies,” laughs Maquiso. His was an easier landing than most encounter; Maquiso’s young charge was his own nephew, then age 4. His employer was his older sister, who had previously immigrated to the United States and then Canada, and was about to launch her own business in York Region. She now lives in Stouffville.
So unlike many, Maquiso’s decision to head to Canada wasn’t driven by brutal necessity. He already had a “fairly decent” job in Manila and was financially independent. His motivation was to help his sister — and, eventually, pursue a post-secondary education abroad.
“Each nanny has a unique story to tell, from being the sole breadwinner of the family to a carefree individual seeking greener pastures for herself in Canada,” says Maquiso, who now has permanent resident status here. “The decision to work in Canada is already a significant deviation from the concept of family in the Philippine setting, where living with generations of family members under one roof and where adult working children still live with their parents are common practices.
“Whatever their reasons are for choosing to work here, all of them are unanimous in one thing — they would like to be reunited with their families who literally live thousands of miles and an ocean away.”
Maquiso is set to graduate this spring from the photojournalism program at Belleville’s Loyalist College. He aspires to create visual documentaries on social issues, particularly East-West relationships: “Third World issues and relationships with industrialized countries, as seen through the people involved in it.”
Maquiso images illustrate that theme handsomely, while presenting a rare inside look at the reality of dual-world existence for thousands of hard-working GTA residents and the families they serve, here and at home.
— Dan Smith
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Hiring Credit for Small Business in 2012
Happy New Year! Here is an exciting update to share with small business employers:
The 2011 Federal Budget created a Hiring Credit for Small Business (HCSB), a one-time credit intended to stimulate new employment and support small businesses. The HCSB gives small businesses relief from the employer’s share of Employment Insurance (EI) premiums paid in 2011. The credit does this by covering the difference in Employer EI premiums from 2010 to 2011, up to $1,000.
Who is eligible for the HCSB and how will it be calculated?
A small business whose total employer’s EI premiums paid for 2010 was $10,000 or less and whose total premiums increased in 2011 is eligible for a credit.
The credit is calculated as the difference between these two amounts up to a maximum of $1,000. The CRA will automatically calculate the credit when an eligible employer’s 2011 T4 information return is filed.
If an employer meets all listed eligibility criteria but has an outstanding debt with the CRA, will the CRA still calculate the credit?
Yes, the CRA will calculate the HCSB and will apply the amount of the credit towards any outstanding debt owed by the employer.
Can employers reduce their 2011 payroll deduction remittances by the HCSB they anticipate they will receive rather than waiting until the credit is calculated?
No. Employers are not permitted to short remit their 2011 payroll remittances by the amount of the HCSB they think they will receive. The credit will only be calculated once the 2011 T4 information return is filed.
Please contact our Payroll Accountant Linh if you have any questions regarding this one- time credit: linh@internationalnannies.com or 1-604-786-2566.
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Canada’s New Caregiver Policy Raises Industry Concern
OTTAWA — The federal government is making it easier for foreign live-in caregivers to stay in the country once their contract is up, but an industry leader is warning the new policy could cause a serious caregiver shortage.
Immigrants with live-in caregiver visas will now be able to obtain an open work permit 18 months sooner, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney announced Thursday.
Already, about 14,000 live-in caregivers have been given open work visas since the policy was changed, the minister’s press secretary confirmed Thursday.
Open work permits allow caregivers to seek another job, if they choose, when their two-year live-in caregiver contract is complete, without losing their permission to be in Canada.
“Too many live-in caregivers have completed their work obligations but must continue living in the home of their employer, waiting for their application for permanent residence to be reviewed,” said Kenney. “This is understandably frustrating.”
The Live-In Caregiver Program allows Canadian families to hire caregivers from abroad to live in their home and care for a child, an elderly person or a disabled adult when there are no Canadians available for the job.
Those in the program need to work for 3,900 hours or two years before they are eligible to apply for permanent-resident status.
Until now, however, they could not look for other work while they waited for initial permanent status approval — which, with the current backlog, typically takes about 18 months.
Kenney said the new policy accelerates the processing time by 18 months. Live-in caregivers now get their open work permit as soon as they can apply for permanent status.
The new policy is a result of consultations Kenney had with live-in caregivers on how to prevent them from being exploited, the minister’s press secretary said on Thursday.
“Minister Kenney is concerned with the treatment of live-in caregivers in Canada,” wrote Candice Malcolm in an email. “People in this program sometimes face difficult situations, such as those described in the front-page abuse allegations against then-Liberal-MP Ruby Dhalla.”
Two years ago, Dhalla made headlines when a former nanny alleged she “was mentally tortured and physically stressed” by long work hours and insults in the family household.
Since the program began, similar allegations have surfaced in other parts of the country.
The new policy is a welcome change to better protect live-in caregivers, said Manuela Gruber Hersch, president of the Association for Caregiver and Nanny Agencies in Canada, a group that seeks to set ethical standards for the caregiver industry.
“It gives (live-in caregivers) a lot more freedom,” she said.
But Gruber Hersch said Canadian families will need to brace themselves for what she predicts will be a rapidly dwindling supply of foreign nannies.
“We will see and we already have seen a growing shortage of caregivers, live-in and live-out,” she explained. “Once they get their open work permits, the vast majority will move on to other industries . . . They’ve done their 24 months and they want to move on.”
The shortage is already happening, she said.
Gruber Hersch said she recently heard from a B.C. caregiver placement agency which already has received notices from six nannies.
The new policy is unprecedented, said Toronto immigration lawyer Rafael Fabregas.
Although he welcomes the change, Fabregas said he is suspicious of the federal government’s motivation.
“It’s bizarre,” said Fabregas. “It’s bizarre how they can announce this type of a policy after basically doing nothing for the past year-and-a-half and accumulating all these applications.”
Along with the massive backlog of permanent residence applications, the wait time for live-in caregivers crept up over the past year-and-a-half, to almost 20 months from six months, said Fabregas.
“Now they’re basically creating a policy to kill a backlog that they created, in a way making themselves look good,” he said. “I just think all of this doesn’t pass my smell test. It reeks, quite frankly.”
Fabregas said the policy raises a lot of other questions. He wonders what will happen now for other immigrant groups, such as sponsored spouses, who are still awaiting a decision on their permanent status without open work permits.
“Is the immigration department now going to . . . start issuing them work permits upon application?” he asked.
As for a mass exodus of live-in caregivers looking for jobs in other industries, Fabregas said it’s too soon to tell.
“Are caregivers suddenly going to start leaving that job for greener pastures in a climate where unemployment is slowly creeping up? I don’t know,” he said. “I’m not convinced that that’s what going to happen, but I could be wrong.”
If it does happen, Fabregas said Kenney will need to put on his thinking cap to figure out the government will fill the gap.
New Democrat MP and immigration critic Don Davies said the new policy is a step in the right direction.
But it still fails to solve another problem, he said — the fact that many live-in caregivers must leave their own children and spouses behind in their home country. They are only allowed to sponsor them to come to Canada once they receive permanent residency.
“It’s ironic because we’re bringing women . . . from around the world to come here and look after our children, separating many of them from their own children,” said Davies.
Since the vast majority of live-in caregivers end up getting permanent status, Davies said there’s no reason to delay the sponsoring process.
tfletcher@postmedia.com
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Tips for Being a Good Employer
As an employer, we always have expectations of our employees, for example: be punctual, be hard-working, and be reliable; but what about the other way around? In what ways can people be better employers? Ensuring a harmonious relationship with your caregiver does not fall solely into the caregiver’s hands. A positive employer-employee relationship involves give and take. In order to promote a mutually beneficial relationship, here are a few tips to make your employee feel
valued:
1) Offer a fair wage: For live-in caregivers, the wage has already been determined according to government standards. However, for live-out caregivers, the wage is negotiable. When offering your caregiver a wage, truly ask yourself, “What is required from this individual and what is a reasonable wage”? How many children do you have? Is there housework involved? Driving the children? Meal preparation? Your wage should fairly compensate your caregiver for the job’s requirements.
2) Treat her like a professional: If you are confident in your caregiver’s childcare abilities, you should trust her judgement. If you have any concerns, these should be addressed in private and not in front of the children; doing so will only undermine her authority. Try to respect her childcare approach and be polite in making suggestions. We all have different ways of doing things and there may even be a cultural element to your caregiver’s approach.
3) Respect her privacy: You should respect your caregiver’s personal space, especially a live-in caregiver. Even though they live in your home, this does not mean your caregiver is available all the time. When the work day is done, your caregiver is free to enjoy their time off; whether that is in the comfort of their private room, or out with friends, be respectful of their personal space.
4) Establish rules and respect them: Your caregiver’s job description has been clearly detailed in the employment contract. If you require duties beyond what has been described in the contract, please consult with your caregiver first. Furthermore, if your work day finishes at 5, try and be home at that time so your caregiver’s workday may end. If it is necessary for them to work longer, be sure to compensate fairly.
5) Show your appreciation: Positive feedback goes a long way in fostering a harmonious relationship. If you are pleased with your caregiver’s performance – let them know!
6) Be flexible: Life doesn’t always go according to plan – maybe your nanny needs a day off and can only provide short notice. Or perhaps, you need your nanny to work on a weekend and it’s a last minute request. As much as we all like to plan ahead, sometimes you need to bend a bit.
7) Be welcoming: While arriving in a foreign country is an exciting experience, it can also be terrifying. Take the time to show your caregiver around the house and explain how everything works. At the same time, you may also want to point out bus stops, grocery stores, banks, cell-phone stores, etc. Your caregiver will appreciate the gesture and your assistance will help build their confidence.
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Being a Professional Nanny
Being professional is important, regardless of the kind of work. As a nanny, you have a responsibility not only to your employers, but to the children you care for as well. Taking pride in your work and acting in professional way will be beneficial to your current work relationship and to your future opportunities. Having a poor reference from a past employer will only harm your future chances of success.
That being said, here are a few general tips to follow in order to be a more “professional” employee.
Respect for Others
- Be polite and have good manners.
- Be punctual: if you start work at 7.a.m., you should be ready!
- Keep your employer’s private affairs confidential.
- Accept and listen to criticism – keep an open mind.
- Apologize for errors or misunderstandings.
- Do what is asked of you.
- Speak clearly – you may not be understood all the time, it’s best to check!
Take Responsibility
- Be honest!
- Be reliable and dependable – this is your job!
- Always give the best you can.
Of course, there are some tips which are more specific for nanny-work:
- Nannies should be mindful of childhood development and plan age-appropriate activities.
- Nannies should keep a journal to report any milestones in development or observations.
- Nannies must supervise children carefully and use common sense when responding to emergency situations.
Remember, being a nanny is a professional job and therefore requires serious attention and effort! If you feel your nanny skills have been lacking, make it a New Year’s Resolution to try some of these tips to make your work relationship more harmonious!
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Creating a Nanny Resume
Regardless of the type of job to which you apply, your resume provides a first impression of your education, qualifications, and experiences. While a nanny resume is not so different from other career fields, it is important to follow a few rules in order to present yourself in a professional manner. Since a resume offers that first glimpse, you want to highlight your nanny experience in an organized and detailed manner.
As like other resumes, you want to begin by placing your name and contact information at the top of the page. Your name should be in bold font, so that it is easy to read. You must remember that when an employer or agency reads a resume, they often read over it relatively quickly, looking for key points. Therefore, it is vital to always highlight the important details, such as your name, education, employment details, and skills.
After your contact information, you have a couple of choices. Some people choose to include an “objective”, that is, the reason why you are seeking a nanny position. When stating an objective, it is important to include more than “seeking a full-time job”. That is not an objective. A true objective will identify what skills you intend to use and why you want to work for that person/company. An example of a stronger objective is, “Seeking a nanny position that will utilize my diverse set of skills and help me in gaining practical experience”.
Once you have decided upon your objective, you may wish to include “Qualification Highlights”. This is your opportunity to identify four or five special skills that you think are important. These skills may be listed in short sentences and need not be too detailed.
The objective and qualification highlights are merely the appetizer to your resume. What follows is the main course; your work experience and education. When listing your work experience, it is important to organize it chronologically, from most recent work, to least recent. For each job, you should list the name of the employer, as well as the dates and location of the childcare. Underneath each entry, list the general responsibilities. What ages were the children? What were your daily duties? Did you have additional tasks besides childcare? For example, housecleaning, meal preparation, or helping with homework? All of these details will help future employers assess your qualifications.
When explaining your educational background, again it is important to include the date and location of your studies. Even if the education is not related to nanny work, it is important to share the information with future employers so they may see your versatility. Also of importance is any non-academic training, such as First AID classes.
After the main course of your resume, comes dessert. The last information you may wish to include is details about hobbies, or any specialized skills. Last but not least, include a short sentence stating, “References available upon request”. An employer or agency will always ask for your references and you may provide them when asked.
Remember – your resume provides an employer with a first impression of your qualifications for the job! Therefore, it is essential to make your resume as informative and organized as possible. Please view the article below for an example of a nanny resume – feel free to use it as a guideline for your own!
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Sample Nanny Resume
Jane Nanny
453 Beach Avenue
Childtown, BC
(986) 453-5426
janenanny@email.com
Objective: Seeking a live-in caregiver position that will allow me to work closely with children, since I love working with kids.
Qualification Highlights:
- Over 10 years of childcare experience.
- Early childhood education certified.
- Excellent communication skills.
- Fluent in English and Japanese.
- Experience working children who have special needs.
Work Experience:
Mr. and Mrs. Need-a-Nanny
Caregiver
November 2009 – November 2011
- Responsible for the care of two children ages 3 and 5.
- Assisted children with bathing and dressing.
- Oversaw playtime and daily activities.
- Discussed and reported any concerns with the parents.
Education:
Childtown Community College
Early Childhood Education Certificate
Completed January 2000
Hobbies: painting, yoga, cooking, and volleyball.
References available upon request
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Canada needs more caregivers, please
From Monday’s Globe and Mail
Published Sunday, Nov. 06, 2011 7:30PM EST
Immigration Minister Jason Kenney’s plan to accept 10,000 more skilled workers into Canada next year is a sound one, and so is the government’s overall target of 255,000 newcomers. Some other changes make less sense, and may be motivated by politics, more than economics.
Mr. Kenney acknowledged that the seven-year backlog to sponsor grandparents and parents has become unmanageable, and announced a two-year moratorium on applications. In the meantime, however, he will increase the quota by 10,000 over two years, to 25,000, and introduce a two-year multiple-entry visitor’s visa for these family members.
To compensate, there will be a lower quota in other categories, including live-in caregivers. The target is 8,000-9,300, compared to 10,500-12,500 in the past two years.
Shouldn’t it be the other way around? Why would a country with a declining fertility rate and the expected mass retirements of baby boomers want to recruit yet more older people? “The government has it backwards,” says Sergio Karas, an immigration lawyer.
While family reunification is a goal for Canada’s immigration program, family-class newcomers already make up two-thirds of all those accepted. Parents and grandparents are unlikely to create economic growth and will have more health needs.
Live-in caregivers are a category that should be expanded. They perform a key role in the labour market: caring for children in a country with no national daycare policy, and looking after the elderly. There is already a shortage of quality care for the aged, a problem that will grow in years to come with the country’s demographic shift.
Canada’s live-in caregiver program is unique in the world, and allows caregivers to apply for permanent residency after living with a family for two years, caring for either children or the aged. It has real weaknesses, such as long application-processing times, abusive employers and nannies being recruited for “fake” jobs, but the program itself remains sound.
The government would be wise to put resources into having it run more smoothly, and make sure that well-qualified caregivers are recruited to bona fide jobs and that their permanent residency applications are processed in a timely fashion. As the population ages, Canada will need more of them.
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Improving Communication with Your Caregiver
The long-awaited arrival of your overseas nanny is an exciting addition to the family. But how do you ensure those feelings of bliss and relief continue, as your new caregiver begins his/her employment? Although many employers consider their caregiver a “member of the family”, the fact still remains that an employer-employee relationship exists, and as such, some guidelines need to be observed when communicating with your caregiver. Communication strategies for tackling business concerns are paramount, but business strategies alone are not enough; one must also consider the importance of recognizing cultural nuances.
The most important aspect of maintaining a good relationship is clear and open communication. Arriving in a foreign country is nerve-wracking enough for your caregiver, so it is vital that he/she feels comfortable enough to open up to you and address any issues should they arise.
When speaking with your caregiver in front of the children, it is important to speak with him or her politely in order to avoid undermining your caregiver’s authority. Furthermore, when correcting mistakes, remember to praise your caregiver for ways in which they have performed well. An effective way to introduce concerns is through the “sandwich approach”. Although this approach is frequently used in educational settings, it is a positive communication tool in other settings as well. Rather than introduce your concern outright, the “sandwich approach” advises starting first with a positive point, followed by your concern, and then ending with another positive comment. You can imagine two delicious slices of bread with some not-so-tasty cheese in-between! By using this method, you will create a more positive environment when discussing concerns.
At the same time, it is important to recognize that cultural differences often result in communication difficulties. For example, communication in Asian cultures is often very different than in Western Cultures. In order to avoid confrontation in many Asian cultures, there is a tendency to say “yes” to requests, when in fact the individual would rather say “no”. Not to mention, a smile should not be misconstrued as agreement or pleasure in what has been discussed. The smile can just as easily be used to hide embarrassment, annoyance or disagreement. When communicating with your caregiver, especially when first getting-to-know each other, it is very important not to assume that your message is clear. What may be clear to you might be easily misunderstood by your caregiver.
Hopefully, with a little bit of work and focus on communication strategies, you can easily maintain a positive home environment with your new “family member”. Happy Communicating!
