My licensed nanny is expecting a baby!

This is good news but what are you going to do?
Let's be honest, the first few minutes, you were floored by this news.

Even though it is a tad selfish, one can understand that you don't want to have to redo all the research, maintenance, negotiation, adaptation and yada yada yada...  


Good! Go on smile. Birth, it's still the most beautiful thing in the world!

When should she tell you she is pregnant?

Nevertheless she probably will give you some advance notice, that is, if you don't notice her condition on your own accord. Especially if you maintain good relations with your childcare provider, she will understand your need to make other arrangements while she is "out of commission".

It is also up to her when she will stop working. Many moms-to-be choose to work well into their pregnancy but this is not always the case especially if she has bad morning sickness or back pain caused by the pregnancy. Still, you should ask her when she is planning on starting her leave so that you can start making other preparations.

What about after the baby is born?

 What you need to ask:

• Firstly, is she planning on returning to work after her leave? Running a home daycare is often practical for moms since they can stay at home and take care of their little ones, and yours, all while earning some extra income.
• If she is planning to return to work, is she going to take a full-year leave? If she has been paying her Unemployment Insurance premiums and has accumulated enough hours she is probably eligible to receive maternity benefits while on leave.
  

Blogger Heather at Home to Heather shares her difficulties in finding a home daycare after her regular home caregiver became pregnant and decided not to go back to work once the baby was born.

What are my obligations to the caregiver?

Apart from your contract you do not have any legal obligations to the childcare assistant. If everything is going well and she does plan on returning to work after the birth of her child it may be worth finding a temporary solution in the meantime. If she is not planning on returning to work or wants to take an extended maternity leave you may have to consider the possibility of finding a new home caregiver.

Do childcare providers have the right to have babies?

When I announced "my super news" to the mother of R. with whom all was went splendidly, I found her to be quite stiff... She changed in one weekend and came to tell me, with her husband, that it didn't go over well with her and that she did not understand why childcarers had the right to take parental leave ... I kept my cool, but I was horribly disappointed ... How was it possible that the parent of a child I had pampered, rocked,  and cuddled can blame me for being pregnant?