The traditional African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child” is widely quoted when discussing the dependency that parents / guardians have on local support to help deliver care, education, development and entertainment for their children. Childcare provision can be a very daunting task for parents to manage in isolation and this proverb highlights the value that a dependable support network offers to families.
At the center of this network is the mother, who is largely considered the primary care giver for her family. However, the harsh economic realities of our time puts pressure on the practicability of being a “Full time“ or “Stay at home” mum and now demands that both parents work, and jointly contribute financially to the welfare of their kids. Furthermore, more mothers are keen to enjoy the fulfilment that comes with having a professional life to compliment their personal one.
This means that more than ever before, parents & guardians require easy access to qualified childcare professionals who deliver a safe, convenient, affordable service which is bespoke to their children’s needs and delivers real value to all parties concerned.
The Proverbial “Village” and how it’s since changed.
These days, most families (especially those living in urban cities) generally tend to leverage a support network that consists of:
Family or Friends – This is probably still the most popular form of support but unlike the old days, most of your family or friends are now busy, not qualified, now live far away or are just incapable of providing the required support.
Local Agents or Agencies – Now used by parents to recruit Au Pairs, Nannies, and other forms of Childcare service provision. However, most of them do not have the structure required to attract qualified professionals or assess, validate and manage childcare providers that they recruit and subsequently pass on to parents.
Nurseries / Crèches – Parents and guardians utilize the services of these institutions to provide baby-sitting services for their wards. They are largely inflexible, sometimes inconveniently located and tend to run on weekdays and during business working hours only.
Classified Ads Sites – Some parents also seek childcare providers of these online platforms that are purpose built to advertise, market and sell all types of products, services. They are not designed to cater for the exact requirements of this demographic and as such do not deliver against any of the value propositions that parents or childcare providers seek.
Problems Plaguing This Industry Today
- Distinct lack of qualified and properly trained professionals.
- No Certified Regulatory Body to properly manage Childcare Providers e.g. Ofsted in the UK
- A lack of available platforms to enable parents / guardians to engage with qualified childcare providers directly, review their track record, criminal history, and referrals from other parents. It’s difficult to verify qualifications or track professional history today. The Nigerian Police today is unable to provide character certificate to childcare professionals, making it difficult to identify any criminal records or lack thereof.
- Government Focus – Inadequate Legislation, Funding, Training Providers and Infrastructure.
- Brand Image – Careers in this space are not seen as attractive or fulfilling and need to be marketed better. Childcare is a very emotive subject for parents, which means that they would be happy to pay a decent wage for qualified professionals.
How can technology help?
Childminder.ng aims to support the transformational journey required to bring Childcare in Nigeria into the 21st Century by delivering a platform (website and mobile apps) that provides the easiest, smartest, and most trusted way of hiring a childcare professional, anytime, anywhere.
Parents would be able to promote available vacancies, search for, and engage directly with the qualified pool of experienced childcare providers such as, Au pairs, Nannies, Private Tutors, Nurseries, Personal Assistants and Midwives amongst others, using our secure messaging service.
This service would deliver verification of qualified childcare professionals, hold and display relevant details such as, photos, full profiles, qualifications held, years of experience, declared criminal history and any professional references or referrals collected from current and past parents or guardians through the platform. This would not only help deliver on a value proposition, but also support any strategic aspirations the government may have in this regard.
Registered Childcare Providers would also be able to engage directly with parents seeking childcare services, institutions that provide world-class childcare related training and relevant professionals who would guide you on a path to building a fulfilling career in childcare.
Finally, the website would publish rich content and advice on child legislation, child safety, home security, children charities, reviews on children’s products and host blogs and other social commentary on issues affecting our kids today.
At the core of our values is education and care provision for children, which informs our advocacy for appropriate childcare legislation, world-class training and the development of relevant industry skills. So we hope that when we launch in March 2016, you would come for the contact and content but then stay for the network. Have a great 2016 ahead!!!!
Written by: Chika Uzor
Founder & CEO @ Chayse
