24/7 quality child care service – A first for Seychelles |09 November 2019

“The childcare challenges that we are facing in the country will definitely allow The Nanny Agency to enter the market as THE solution long-awaited.”

This has been said by Mélissa Duffets, founder of The Nanny Agency – a new facility in Seychelles offering novel and innovative childcare solutions for individuals and organisations.

In the following interview with Ms Duffets, Seychelles NATION learns how this 24/7 service will work and how it will be managed.

Seychelles NATION: Tell us about The Nanny Agency.

Mélissa Duffets: The Agency aims to be innovative and inspiring, offering a 24/7 online booking system that will provide customised services, and high quality, reputable and hardworking in-home Nannies to families in Seychelles. We will hold ourselves responsible to the utmost national standards by ensuring we meet our clients’ needs precisely and completely.

Nanny services are in high demand in Seychelles and busy parents or guardians often have no choice but to place their children in poor quality childcare services. It is a great option for families who can benefit from a high-personal approach and be free from the burden of searching for and hunting down the perfect nanny for their beloved children.

A range of nanny services will be available:

-           Full/part time nanny care, Parents’ nights out (evenings/overnight care) and Childcare for special events

-           We will soon be introducing our modern and user-friendly website designed to give clients 24/7 online booking and payment facilities, among others

We will also offer Corporate Nanny Packages for the tourism industry (hotels, yachts & cruises, etc.), a very demanding service that often the industry struggles to meet the tourists’ demands.

Finally, we will introduce our services to public and private organisations. Seychelles’ parent workforce is growing, and parents are demanding a better work/life balance. Employees report that job demands interfere with their personal responsibilities, while many say that family responsibilities interfere with their work performance.

Companies that want to offer this service to their employees will encourage them to attend important conferences or missions abroad. This service will also prevent employers from losing their talented staff. When companies provide childcare, employee absences decrease and job turnover declines.

The Nanny Agency wants to make a difference in Seychelles in many ways. We wish to:

>         impact on businesses in helping them with child care solutions to attract top tier talent, retain loyal and engaged employees

>         encourage parents to vocalise work/family balance needs, expect more from their workplaces to receive the best childcare options for their family

>         bring an improvement in childcare standards to meet the needs of Seychelles’ growing force, and change expectations in parents and businesses’ trust in childcare providers

Seychelles NATION: Can you explain how the service will work and how it will be managed?

Mélissa Duffets: I will personally oversee and manage all aspects of the agency to continually ensure quality. 

The Nanny Agency begins its journey with an in-person meeting with our clients, preferably in their home. We take into account the family’s preferred personality, hours needed and level of nanny expertise required.

When a nanny joins a family, it can feel like gaining a new addition to the family unit. It can be a challenging experience and perhaps a little difficult at first for both parents and the childcare professionals. We understand that where a child is concerned, it is vital for families to feel reassured. A nanny should be a positive and loving extension of a family.

The Agency has a very strict policy when it comes to placing a nanny. We only partner with exceptionally skilled, experienced and good-natured childcare professionals. The applicants must be experienced, knowledgeable in child development, and passionate about helping families. This will be achieved through a strict recruitment process with extensive background checks.

Seychelles NATION: What inspired the decision to offer this service?

Mélissa Duffets: After completing my university studies in Europe, I decided to go back to Seychelles when I became a parent. When I arrived in Seychelles some years ago, it surprised me that although we had so many mothers and fathers both working, childcare services were either limited or the quality did not meet the majority of parental expectations.

I have, since then, always hoped that a childcare agency would appear somehow in the country which would offer a modern and professional service. It never happened. I decided that it was time for me to do something to offer our parents the luxury to have a modern and customised service.

As a mother of pre-schooler twins, I know how important it is for a parent to find the best caregiver for their beloved children. After using myself a very satisfying nanny agency in Europe with high quality services, I wish to offer the best childcare service and the necessary peace of mind to busy working parents living in Seychelles, or simply parents that need extra help with their children, to make a difference in their lives.

We are looking forward to the grand opening of The Nanny Agency to be held in December.

Seychelles NATION: What are some challenges that you foresee might come about in the near future and what are your thoughts about overcoming them?

Mélissa Duffets: Today, although we do have in-home childcare services, they are largely informal, unregulated and of low quality.

Offering an innovative Nanny Agency to Seychelles will require a transitional change, a shift of mind-set, which we cannot predict if it will be quick or slow. 

However, the childcare challenges that we are facing in the country will definitely allow us to enter the market as THE solution long awaited, which will have a positive impact on people’s lives, both on a personal and professional level. Not solely. It will increase the childcare quality of Seychelles and will improve the skills base of our childcare workforce.

For more information:

-           Telephone: +248 2 824 090

-           Email: contact@thenannyagency.info

-           Follow us on Facebook and Instagram

F.P.