I had a similar experience like the lady from Cyprus. We live in a suburb of Toronto, Canada and we also had a terrible experience with a Filipino nanny who used us to get to Canada only to leave after a few weeks to be closer to her aunt in Regina. We paid for her airplane ticket, hiring fees, and temporary insurance which came almost to $4000. We called our local Canada Immigration office who advised us to file a complaint which we did. In the meantime, we have no nanny in place and have lost a large amount of money. By speaking to friends and co-workers, this seems to be very common with Filipino nannies. We are now trying to find an alternate choice, we will never hire another Filipino nanny again. Please post my story to prevent this happening to other Canadian families.
Isn't it possible this is a common scam and doesn't just include philipino nannies? There are people of all races that pull cons, OP.
ReplyDeleteI can't be the only one offended by all this anti-Filipino sentiment. I have been to the Philippines and can tell you that these scam artists are NOT representative of all Filipinos, especially not all Filipino nannies. My boyfriend's nanny growing up was a wonderful woman named Marikit, who over 40 years later is still part of his family.
ReplyDeleteIt is WRONG to take out your anger on an entire country full of people.
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ReplyDeleteI agree with the above poster. I find it hard to imagine that it is so impossible to find a good nanny who is already in the country legally. Honestly, it just doesn't seem like good judgment to agree to sponsor and pay for the expenses of someone who you have never met to come to your country and work for you.
ReplyDeleteIt isn't exactly like you are a large corporation sponsoring a highly desirable foreign candidate with an amazing skill set. You are a family looking for decent childcare. You are looking for someone who can transport your kids, do some housework and keep your children happy, fed, safe, entertained and intellectually stimulated. In the current economic climate, i doubt it is impossible to find someone who can fill that role and is also currently in your country.
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ReplyDeleteGenerally speaking, although I am unaware of minimum wage laws and their application to immigrants brought into the country of Canada by families seeking childcare, I think people think of bringing in a nanny from a different country as similar to bringing in an au pair to the US.
ReplyDeleteCHEAP CHILDCARE is how the au pair program seems to be sold to families (au pair is paid minimum wage minus 40% for room and board - including program costs, families pay about $300 per week for 45 hours of care, and only about half of that goes to the au pair), while the potential au pairs get the hard sell on the wonders and joys of living with an american family and being treated as a family member in exchange for some childcare.
So, maybe NOT bringing immigrants in to do childcare is the answer. I find it hard to believe no one who LIVES near the OP is willing or able to care for their kids for a fair wage, so my guess is the OP sought cheap labor.
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ReplyDeleteI don't understand paying $4000 to bring over a nanny only to call immigration on her...YOU are the one that brought her here. It's not her race that makes this story lame.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with many PPs who said that it isn't fair to classify all Filipina nannies as "bad" just because several people have had bad experiences with two women who happen to be Filipina. I am willing to bet that there are far MORE good Filipina nannies out there.
ReplyDeleteI hate to say it but it is not the nationality of the nanny that is the problem... it is the situation. You took the risk of paying a large sum of money to get someone from their country to yours. I am by no means saying that this nanny was right in doing this, it is a terrible thing to do, but you need to be aware that there are bad people out there. I am not trying to bash you, I am actually very sorry that this happened to you but it is still not fair for you to bash that nationality of people. I don't think I would ever fork over that amount of cash for a nanny when there are probably a ton of nannies who already live in your country and would be willing to work for you.
I'm really hoping that when MPP posted that title she was actually encouraging us to call OP out on her racism.
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ReplyDeleteSome info to respond to the Qs from others so far: Canadian families are willing to pay so much to bring in foreign nannies as in the long run it is cheaper, and you tend to get more help around the house etc. than hiring 'locally'. The nannies are sponsored by the family to come to Canada under the live-in caregiver programme, which means that after about two years the nanny can apply for permanent residency. The savings to the family is at least half of what it would cost to legally hire an experienced/qualified live-out nanny, i.e. they would probably save at least $15,000 a year. So there is a benefit on both sides - inexpensive childcare and lots of help around the house for the family, and the prospect of becoming a permanent resident for the nanny. Most of the nannies are from the Phillipines, therefore most of the negative stories are about them, but I am sure there are a similar percentage of negative stories about workers from other countries, but we don't hear about them because Filipinos are usually the ones coming into Canada under the programme.
ReplyDeleteFamilies who sponsor an overseas nanny are taking several risks - not only the possibility that they will leave you high and dry upon arrival, but also they often have limited or no childcare experience (though they must take a course), might not even be particularly good with children and sometimes have very poor English. On the other hand, there a lot of horrible employers who really exploit these women - e.g. not paying them for overtime, unrealistically expecting them to do all the cooking and cleaning as well as childcare, giving them inadequate living quarters and generally treating them very poorly indeed.
Hope that helps to put this in some context!
(Reposting with a moniker, but pretty sure I've posted before without one ... )
So, cheap childcare and lots of housework is the expectation and the reason this poster didn't hire a fellow Canadian. Nice.
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ReplyDeleteI would never hire an American nanny. My requirement is healthy BMI, educated, fluent in mandarin, and mature. God forbid I am to ever employ a nanny who thinks crafts and playdates (what a dumb word anyway) should be the way to spend the day.
ReplyDeletePlease, I'm not sure what you consider a health BMI, but I can definitely accommodate you with a healthy BM and it won't cost you a single jiao.
ReplyDeleteLMAO!
ReplyDeleteI partially agree. A fat nanny who smokes is nothing but a lazy and poor example to children. People should take pride in how they appear to children. Some people just don't have any common sense- why do they hire those kind of nannies? Don't get me wrong a big boned person who eats heathy and leads a healthy lifestyle would be considered in my household. But if you have plumbers butt, smell like an ashtray, I will personally kick your lazy ass out of my house.
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ReplyDeleteLOL...these replies took a sharp turn.
ReplyDeleteSo, Filipino/a nannies are shady, ungrateful, and untrustworthy. Canadian families need cheap child and household care that can only be found by importing from third world countries. American nannies are fat, smoke, and only do arts and crafts all day with the kids.
Got it, carry on!
This is hilarious- I am so delighted to hear other people say what I sometimes think in private. Yes I would never hire some goofball nanny who thinks blowing bubbles is a worthy activity. I guess you get what you pay for. Lazy nannies for $8 per hour who understandably would rather text all day than pretend she cares about her minimum wage salary. Not all $8 nannies are like this of course but I think parents should be ashamed. Get a fit and educated person who is a good role model. Someone who offers education. Teaches how to read- not read to the children. Teaches a useful language like french or even just Spanish.
ReplyDeleteIn reference to the Filipino nannies- I think people can get that with any culture. Just like American nannies are obese and lazy in terms of quality education. That can be in any culture too but I have mysel found them to be a dime a dozen in the US. It's just the mindset.
@Yes!! -- let's not forget the families who are not willing to pay their nanny more than minimum wage (if that). You are right, you get what you pay for, and too many families fail to remember this. You are not going to get Supernanny if you aren't willing to pay for her.
ReplyDeleteOn a side note, blowing bubbles is a fantastic sensory activity for children.
Dang! I knew I'd left something out of my daily routine with my charge. How could I forget the Mandarin lessons???
ReplyDeleteOh. Right. Because he's happy as a clam playing, talking, and learning experientially.
"Teaches how to read- not read to the children"
ReplyDeleteCould you please clarify this statement? How is one supposed to teach a child to read if she is not allowed to read to the child?
Dear Poster,
ReplyDeleteI am a Toronto-based Canadian nanny with one going on two Canadian University Degrees. I would say that in my eight plus years of nannying I have seen many over-sea's nannies (West Indian, Flipino etc) whom have been "questionable" in both their motives for coming to Canada under the program as well as interaction with the children under their care.
What I feel is interesting in this context, is that a large portion of such nannies are employed in "well-to-do" area's such as The Beaches and Bloor West Village. So you have families that make over 140,000 combined per year, spending 300.00 CAD per week on their most precious items (their children!).
A lot of the times I really do blame the families, you want quality care, hire a quality nanny. Remember the happier your wife is the happiere your life is, hence, the happier your nanny is the happier your family is. If your paying your nanny fair, remembering to gift on her birhday, giving her extra time off etc, going above and beyond, she will also go above and beyond for you!
I am employed by a fantastic nanny whom resides in Yorkville, another pretenious area, and I make over 130.00-150.00 CAD take-home per day, for one child, no household expectations! However, because I am paid well, I will do the families laundry, make dinner at times, take the child EVERYWHERE, educate the pre-school child to a grade 2 level! etc. You get what you pay for!
Its your kids, so proceed with caution when choosing a nanny.
On another note, regarding the knocks at the Flipino or foreign nanny behaviours... a lot of times there is so much that goes on behind closed doors, that it is necessary to gather the facts before pointing fingers. A lot of families take advantage of the fact that these women are obligated to stay in the country for their papers, ahd have limited support from others besides the family they work for!
- Toronto Nanny of One.
Please and Exactly:
ReplyDeleteI am not fit, (trying to get there) I eat healthy, and I do not smoke or smell like an ashtray. I am active, and stay active with the children. So because I am not a Twiggy 2, Marilyn 15, Toccara 16 but slightly bigger (not huge) I am unfit to be a nanny? Am I unfit based on size or because I provide activities for the children, including arts and crafts, sensory, games, books and outside play? Because I enjoy painting with children, making edible chocolate clay, I enjoy playing Candyland, I love reading Dr. Suess books (The Sneetches rocks!!!) and enjoy being outside, I am a useless nanny? Based on your comment, I am guessing a nanny who has the TV on all day for the children is a better nanny than someone of such caliber who can provide an education? I guess a plus sized princess nanny like myself with good values and others similar to myself in size aren't qualified?
I think I speak for everyone on this board when I say this: you appear to know nothing about child development, or how hard nannies work. Until you become a nanny or work with children in some capacity, you should shut your mouth because you have no idea what you are talking about.
MissDee, you misunderstood. You are unqualified to be a nanny not because you're plus-sized, but because you're American.
ReplyDelete@Yes!!, while I see that you are trying to prove the point that nannies shouldn't be lazy and text all day while the children entertain themselves, I think you aren't completely informed as to what child need in order to develop. Children need human interaction BUT they also need time to play by themselves or with peers, without adults on them 24/7. Nannies shouldn't have to breathe down the children's backs all day, but of course they shouldn't be texting or watching TV all day.
ReplyDeleteAnd I am also not sure what you mean by " teaching the children to read rather than reading to the children." Umm what? Of course you start off reading to the children when they are young and when they reach preschool age, of course you are trying to get them to read but you can't plop the book infront of them and say "read it." And also I am not sure what you have against bubbles but they are actually a perfectly acceptable activity! They are great for development (popping with index finger).
Miss Mannah: I knew that. lol I just wanted to see Exactly and Please's reactions to what I said.....
ReplyDeleteShortkakes: Bubbles can be popped with the middle finger, ya know...hehehehe
LOL MissDee, hopefully we aren't teaching kids to use that finger!
ReplyDeleteI was just being silly. :) I've actually gone around (admittedly trolling, yes I'm bored today) to all my regular forums and told everyone about how they are all fat, lazy Americans.
ReplyDeleteMaybe if I was taking some Mandarin classes I wouldn't be so bored. No matter, I'll just go off and blow some more bubbles...they are highly entertaining, because my feeble American mind can't handle more stimulation than that.
ShortKakes: Ever see a group of 4 year olds sing "Where Is Thumbkin?" It took years before I could keep a straight face when we got to "middle man"....lol
ReplyDeleteMiss Dee,
ReplyDeleteCould you please post your recipe for edible chocolate clay?
The Cyprus poster mentioned that Filipinos could not leave their country without a valid contract. This probably explains why these stories happen again and again - I have met at least two other families who were left high and dry by their Filipino nannies. I don't think it is racist to call attention to the fact that people in some countries can face difficult situations that we are not familiar with.
ReplyDeleteIt is racist to say "I will never hire another Filipino again" because that is judging an entire group of people based on the actions of a few within the group. If you substituted African-American in that sentence, would you still find it acceptable and not racist?
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ReplyDeleteUm, you already said that.
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ReplyDeleteRemember UNNITY you guys! It's very important to be unnited.
ReplyDeleteNanny E, you are a total bitch, but it's hilarious so i don't mind!
ReplyDeleteWOW!
ReplyDeletePretty interested that my comment towards Miss Mannah was deleted meanwhile her commnets are allowed to stay on the msg board as well as other comments that include swearing in them!
I wonder is MMP friends with MM?
Hmm...
Nanny of One,
ReplyDeleteThe reason your comment(s) were removed was because you spammed several threads with the very same post, word for word.
No matter who the culprit had been, they would have been deleted.
And no, MissMannah and I are not friends.
Miss Mannah, point (belatedly) taken. However I would quibble that this is more about discrimination than racism. It seems to me that citizens of any country would resort to desperate measures if they had to deal with the same travelling restrictions as Filipinos.
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