Having an amazing nanny in the family makes a huge difference. So when they get sick, use their time off, or feel that the role is too much to bear alone (which could lead to burnout), parents are left worrying who will take over the nanny’s responsibilities. To put it lightly, their absence is noticeable! To prevent this, more and more families are turning to another option: hiring a team of professional childcare providers who work on a rotational schedule.
Parents with fast-paced, travel-heavy lifestyles are now focused on creating a dynamic nanny team to provide consistent 24/7 coverage, attract top talent, and ensure longevity and consistency for their families. We’re here to make sure you know everything about ROTA nannies before you create your dream ROTA team!
What is a ROTA Nanny?
A rotational (ROTA) nanny is a professional nanny that works on a pre-determined rotational system with another nanny. Think of it this way: a family hires two full-time nannies. Nanny A works for the family for one full week and then takes one full week off, in which time Nanny B works for the family for one week and then takes one week off. This rotation system repeats until the contract is over. This way, nannies provide continuous care to the children and receive a longer period of time off.
How does a ROTA Nanny Work?
A unique feature of this childcare option is the schedule. The most popular and the most preferred schedule by both families and nannies is typically one week on/one week. This provides the family and children with consistency, while also ensuring each nanny gets their own downtime to prevent burnout. Families who travel for long periods of time may want to consider a two week on/off rotation, while other families might prefer a four day on/off schedule.
During extended trips, families who chose the two-week shift will often bring one nanny (Nanny A) with them, working around the clock, and once home, Nanny A will have ample time off while Nanny B steps in to work the same duration as the time of the trip. Other families will opt to have housing for both nannies and continue the rotating schedule abroad. As always, families should be prepared to cover the cost of all transportation, food, and lodging while traveling.
What are a ROTA Nanny’s Duties and Responsibilities?
Since ROTA nannies are full-time nannies, they are expected to perform all the duties of taking full care of the children. This includes:
- organizing fun, educational and age-appropriate activities
- engaging in creative play
- preparing nutritious, balanced meals and snacks
- supervising mealtime, bath time, and bedtime
- cleaning and tidying bedrooms, common areas, and toys
- caring for the overall well-being of the children
- informing parents of their child’s progress, and any additional responsibilities needed by the household
For families with extensive travel schedules, nannies may also provide support by providing the following tasks for their nanny children:
- packing luggage and essentials for travel
- planning activities while traveling
- acting as the liaison with teachers to ensure any homework or lessons can be done while on the road
- upholding routines and schedules when traveling
Why choose ROTA?
As ROTA schedule are one of the most highly coveted positions in the childcare industry, there’s no doubt that a ROTA position benefits both the families and nannies.
- Guarantees coverage seven days a week
For the family: Families are no longer faced with common industry problems such as the possibility of nanny burnout, the need to search for backup care when a nanny gets sick or requests time off, or the need to handle spur of the minute schedule changes, as there’ll always be two nannies available to take over.
For the nanny: Nannies love to be with their nanny children, but having another nanny to rely on who is able to seamlessly take over once their shift is over is a big relief. Also, knowing they can jump right back in after having ample time off to recharge makes a huge different. It’s always good to know you’re not alone in a job!
- Provides great lifestyle jobs for nannies and R&R for families
For the nanny: Nannies who thrive in ROTA positions enjoy the fact that every day is different. They can go with the flow and adapt to sudden schedule changes, enjoy traveling and being on the road for long periods of time, have the opportunity to work with other staff members, etc. Having a schedule that allows a nanny to be fully present when working and fully off and doing what suits them and their life best when off the clock is a win-win for nanny and family. It’s like getting the best of both worlds, right?
For the family: Having dependable ROTA nannies in place can give parents the peace of mind that comes with knowing their kids have continuous, reliable, while also allowing flexibility, freedom, and consistency for the family. Parents have time for rest and recreation too without having to worry about their children, especially when celebrating occasions or traveling.
- Promotes longevity due to longer breaks between shifts
For the family: Burnout is a reality that causes higher turnover. When nannies experience burnout, it affects everyone, especially the children who are attached to their caregiver. Due to the ample time off that a ROTA position provides, this can be prevented. This way, your nannies can bring their best self to work, which ultimately benefits their nanny family.
For the nanny: Although nannies have longer work hours in ROTA positions, they also get to have longer breaks. These breaks can be used to travel, discover new things, spend time with family, pursue endeavors outside of childcare, or simply rest. It allows the nanny to fully recharge before coming back to work.
- Attracts nannies with diverse skill sets
For the nanny: Nannies get to highlight their special skills and the strengths as they present the children with a wider array of experiences and discoveries. Maybe the nanny has experience working as a ROTA nanny with a touring family. Maybe the nanny loves to travel and is a packing pro. Maybe the nanny truly shines when giving a family their all for a shorter period of time, with rests in between shifts.
For the family: Families get to have two amazing caregivers instead of one, allowing more opportunity to find individuals with complementary skill sets who bring different backgrounds and experiences to the table. Want to expose the children to music? How about one nanny who plays the piano and another who is a trained vocalist? Does your child have special needs? Consider one caregiver with a background in child development and another with training in Occupational Therapy.
Things to keep in mind when hiring a ROTA Nanny
Strong qualifications
Just like any other job positions, being a ROTA nanny requires certain qualifications. Families who hire ROTA nannies often have hectic schedules and busy lifestyles. These families require long hours, so experience working long hours is ideal. Nannies will be rotating shifts with another nanny, so adaptability, strong communication skills, and a team player mentality are required. A lot of ROTA jobs require that nannies live in during their shift, so families are usually looking for nannies who have ROTA or live-in experience. Some families also have a checklist of preferences they’d like for their nannies, such as knowing specific skill sets or specific languages they could introduce to the kids.
Top tier compensation and benefits
Since ROTA schedules require a lot of flexibility and a beneficial but time-consuming schedule, nannies are expected to have strengths in multitasking, adaptability, and teamwork. In return, we often see ROTA positions offering top tier compensation and benefits in order to attract highly experienced candidates who recognize how demanding the job is. Most families who hire ROTA nannies are often high-profile families, high net worth families, celebrities with demanding jobs and travel schedules, or families who have the means to employ multiple ROTA candidates.
As an agency that specializes in staffing ROTA positions and creating dream teams, Westside Nannies is here to guide you on market conditions so that you are able to attract (and keep!) top talents.
It’s a two-way street
Finding a ROTA team that can work well together and support the family seamlessly is the ultimate goal! Though it may seem unnecessary since they won’t often be working at the same time, finding a team that understands the importance of teamwork is crucial. A ROTA work arrangement is a two-way street where the family’s needs are met while also ensuring that nannies get the rest and time off they deserve. Since it’s a promising work arrangement and highly attractive to candidates, families get to source top talents for the position! Talk about win-win!
Let us help create your dream team
When searching for a ROTA team, it’s imperative to work with an agency that has extensive experience in matching ROTA candidates with families. Known as experts in the childcare industry, Westside Nannies has a proven track record of building successful rotational teams for our clients. Our highly experienced and knowledgeable team is excited to work with your family and find you your very own dream ROTA team. Contact us at 310-359-5300 or at info@westsidenannies.com. Let’s turn your dream team into a reality now!