Your domestic helpers and maids may sometimes be ill-equipped with the necessary skills to look after a new born. You may wish to entrust the job to someone who has expertise in the area of baby care. Leaving the job to your mother or mother-in-law may not be wise as their baby care skills might not be as polished, and also such a huge responsibility could prove too tiring for them at their age. Looking after yourself and your new born alone could be very tiresome, as you might not be able to rest adequately which could in turn affect your health and well-being.

A confinement nanny could provide you with the assistance you need. Besides being hospital-trained to take care of your new born, she will be able to prepare nutritional dishes recommended for mothers who have just given birth. She will show you the right way of looking after your baby with useful baby care techniques. Furthermore, a confinement nanny guides you through with advice of what should and should not be taken during this period, and provides you with nourishing food to ensure you recover well.

The advantage of engaging a pool of Confinement Angels/Nannies is that we make all the arrangements from start till the nanny arrives, putting you at ease by taking on the responsibility of scheduling you a nanny. Regardless of when your delivery date might be, we ensure that you are provided with a professionally-trained nanny. Our dedicated team will provide you with the most support and assistance during this crucial period, when utmost care has to be given. Services like the replacement of a nanny are available for you, if necessary.

In contrast, hiring a freelance confinement nanny runs the possibility of her not being able to turn up when:

• You deliver earlier than your estimated due date, and she is still working.
• She is sick.
• She has some personal issues to handle back at her hometown.

When a freelance nanny does not turn up:

• You may panic at the last minute, and there is a high possibility that you may not be able to find any help.
• Your deposit sum given to her may not be recovered.

There has been increasing demand for nannies from Confinement Angels. Thus, we recommend that you book a nanny at least 6 months before your estimated delivery date (EDD). Doing so as early as possible ensures a nanny at your availability.

In the event of a miscarriage or pregnancy, you are entitled to a full refund of your payment. A doctor’s certification will need to be provided.

We will try as best to match you to your nanny profile, and requirements as close as possible. Our pool of nannies function on a full-time basis, and run on packed schedules. Hence, their engagement with clients are largely managed on a timetable system.

You can be assured that all our Confinement Angels/Nannies are highly experienced. Being awarded with a constant flow of assignments ensure that our nannies are able to maintain their skills, and gain invaluable experience. This makes the nannies adaptable and flexible in different working environments, as they stay attached with different families. This way, new clients can also be assured of a high level of trust and experience from our pool.

Regular feedback is collected from our customers, and are reviewed carefully. All nannies from Confinement Angels also undergo rigorous training and are given sufficient work to ensure that they are always confident in caring for you and your baby.

Through this system, we are able to:

• Recognize the efforts put in by the nanny.
• Improve the overall standard of service of the company and the nannies.
• Re-evaluate the performance of the nanny after every assignment.

Some agencies may not invest sufficiently in a proper baby handling training system and the services provided to their customers may not be consistent in standard; thus, they are unable to get consistent repeated referrals.

There are also unlicensed agencies operating illegally. They tend to persuade clients to save on the government levy by refusing to apply for the work permit otherwise required for the nanny to begin providing her services.

It is against the law for any unlicensed confinement nanny agencies and/or housewives operating from home to provide such services. Strict rules are put in place by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) to safeguard you.

Some guidelines to follow are:

Always ask for the employment agency license number (EA no.***).
Verify against the MOM website to ensure that the EA no.*** and the name of the company given are the same.
Practise discretion and do not engage a company or anyone who claims that they are operating under a borrowed licensed name.

*** EA no. is different from Business Registration Number. A Business Registration Number is obtained from ACRA to start a business. However, for certain types of commerce such as confinement nanny agencies, the government will issue a special license authorising them to operate.

On 5th July 2002 , new government regulations were imposed which state that all employers who employ confinement nannies from Malaysia regardless of friends or relatives, paid or unpaid, will have to apply for a work permit for them.

Offenders who breach this rule will face penalties for employment of foreign workers without work permits. Please refer to the MOM website for more information.

Some people might not be aware that nannies require a work permit before they can start work. Others are treading on thin ice and hoping not to get caught. If caught, one could face a fine or be prohibited from engaging foreign maids in the future.

Yet others feel that the work levy for maids is too expensive, which is why they decide to hire a nanny without a work permit. However, the amount is just S$2.00 per day for the care of a new born Singaporean and S$9.00 for the care of a new born of a foreign nationality.

Chances of a full-time qualified nanny risking her career to work without a permit is very slim. If her passport is filled with social visit endorsements, the likelihood of raising suspicion that she might be working illegally is much higher.

Even then, there are nannies who still take the risk and choose to work without a work permit. These nannies usually have no financial commitments and do so just to pass time. With as little as 2 to 3 assignments a year, there are fewer chances of them being caught.

One deterring factor against these nannies is that they are usually not too flexible and are not as experienced as full-time nannies.

Other reasons nannies are willing to take the risk might be because:

• Ministry of Manpower sets an age limit to apply for a work permit. These nannies might not qualify to apply for a work permit in this case.
• They are blacklisted by the Ministry of Manpower due to various reasons, i.e. criminal record etc.

An experienced confinement nanny would not put herself at a disadvantage by working illegally. She will expect her employer to apply for a work permit for her as she does not wish to put her career on the line or face any penalties (fine, jail or banned from coming to Singapore).

Our nannies are highly equipped and capable in carrying out their duties effectively. That said, we are aware that different families will have different requirements. Expectations will vary. Therefore, we will provide a free replacement of nanny if you choose to make a switch.

You are allowed to choose the same nanny and your requests will be placed as a top priority. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, please be prepared that there might be changes to the nanny assigned.