Paying Child Minders

I have asked a teenage french girl that I know quite well to look after my kids (2) from time to time and especially over the exceptionally long summer holidays. How much should I pay her? I have asked her mother who has fobbed me off and said you decide. I dont want to offend her by offering too much or too little…advice please!

Sorry to stick my nose in here but you should know that if something should happen to your children whilst in the company of your friend's daughter, you will not be insured for the hospital costs etc; that's why cheque emploi works well as it covers issues such as accidents etc. It's up to you at the end of the day, depends on how important your children are to you! Registered child minders are easier as you only pay 2.70 an hour as Anne has said, you Mayor would have a list of the registered child minders in your village. Good luck!

yes Carol, on the quiet, know all about that...! new business going very well thanks but the 90 odd hours a week in the shop mean I don't get much time on sfn anymore!

Yes but the nounou's rate is set by the state whereas babysitting isn't, especially if it isn't declared - which, as Tracy pointed out, is illegal - as soon as money changes hands it has to be declared AND TAXED - that's France!!!

Thanks Anne, that does help.

Just in case its of any use, I employ a French childminder on a regular basis and she earns 2€70 per hour per child, plus 2€70 a day for overheads and then charges 2€ for lunch etc… true that you are supposed to pay tax on everything but I’m sure that ‘cash in hand’ would work so long as you both agree on the rate. 5€ an hour for babysitting sounds reasonable to me especially if you’re going to need her on a regular basis.

Useful as a guideline though, thanks Tracy :slight_smile:

There is no such thing as informal work in France - if money changes hands, it is supposed to be taxed! It is a nightmare so of course we don’t pay our friends daughter at all, not even 5€ an hour :wink:

Thank you, that at leasts give me an idea…illegal, really ?? Surely only if it is a formal arrangement.

If we were to pay our friend’s daughter aged 17 yrs old, we would offer 5€ an hour cash to look after our 2 aged 6 and 4yrs old. Note however, that in bureaucratic France, it is illegal to do this and you are supposed to go through the usual rigmarole of cheque emploi etc - we did that once for a baby sitter and at approximately 15€ an hour all in, we couldn’t afford to go out for dinner!