Childcare Choices: Nanny or No Nanny?

Before considering the help you need, it’s important to understand the difference between a nanny and a helper. A nanny focuses on the children – they shop for children’s food, prepare meal plans and cook their food, organise children’s activities and clean their clothes. They do not do general house cleaning. A domestic helper, on the other hand, will do laundry, housework, cooking and drive children around to their activities (they don’t organise the activities themselves).

No Nanny

Child minding services, which are commonly available in the UK, are not on offer in the Cayman Islands. However, preschools, which take children from as young as 6 weeks, are a popular choice, although they often fill up quickly. So plan early and book your child's place as soon as you know you are pregnant. Most local preschools take children from either 12 or 18 months, but a few take younger children. Bloom Learning Centre and Kiddie Cove are the only preschools that take children from 6 weeks. Sprouts by Discovery Kids which is in Savannah, takes children from two months. The Jack and Jill Nursery and Rite Start Preschool take children from 3 months old, and all the others take children from 12 months, 15 months, 18 months or two years old.

The following local preschools take children aged from either six weeks or six months:

They cost between CI$600 and CI$1,450 per month for a full-time place and will keep your children from 7.30am to 5.30pm. There are part-time or full-time options and they do not close for school holidays.

We asked local mothers about this option and were told that the school’s caregivers are “loving and kind" and they could not recommend them highly enough! When choosing between preschools please ensure that you read up on Cayman’s School Inspection Reports on the Cayman Resident website: all preschools have different strengths and weaknesses. In all cases make sure you reserve your child’s place at the earliest possible moment. Some preschools (Little Trotters) will put your child on the waiting list as soon as you are pregnant. Others will require you to produce a birth certificate once the child is born. Be sure to check. Preschools in Cayman are completely over-subscribed and places are few.

Once your child hits 18 months, all preschools are available to them.

See the How to Choose a Preschool article for more information. It gives a few very good ideas on what to look out for in a good preschool.

When Occasional Help is Needed

If you are just looking for a short window of help each week, you could hire ad-hoc help or organise a weekly nanny via one of the agencies (AAA Caregivers or Best Home Care). They usually require a minimum slot of four hours. You can hire cleaners/helpers through the same agencies and on the same basis.

A Nanny / Domestic Helper

Choosing a nanny or a domestic helper is a lot more complicated and there are numerous things to consider. For example:

What type of care do you need?

Although you might think you only need part-time help, what will you do with your children during the school holidays or when they are sick? Do you need a nanny to help with homework? Or someone who will be the primary source of education, development and stimulation? A very good domestic helper will not only help keep your house clean but also engage your child in conversation, read to them and take them to activities so that they can socialise.

How much can you afford to pay?

As with any job, the most qualified and experienced candidates will require a higher salary. There is a big difference in salary between an early childhood-trained nanny and a cleaner who has babysitting experience. Both a full-time nanny and a domestic helper require health insurance, vacation pay and overtime pay; however, the law does not require you to pay the pension of a domestic helper. Cayman's minimum wage is CI$8.75* an hour, and extras (living-in, the use of a car) can only account for 25% of their total salary. According to the Labour Act, overtime kicks in after nine hours worked in a single day and must be paid at time and a half. The usual working week is 45 hours (9 hours a day with one hour for lunch). * Please note that the minimum wage is rising to CI$8.75 from January 1st 2026.

Read our article on The Logistics of Hiring a Helper or Nanny to find out more about Cayman's labour laws and work permit rules around hiring a domestic helper or nanny.

Expected salaries for a domestic helper or trained nanny
There is a huge variation in what people are being paid in the domestic helper field in Cayman. Although the minimum wage is, from January 2026, CI$8.75 an hour, this is still not a lot of money in the Cayman Islands. Many domestic helpers, especially those who can drive, are being paid between CI$450-$550 per week for a 45-hour week. Many are also offered a monthly housing allowance to help them with their rent, the cost of which has risen to an average of CI$800-$1,000 a month for a single room. If the worker was earning CI$8.75 an hour, then they would earn CI$394 a week, and if their rent is CI$1,000 a month they have CI$706 left over to pay their health insurance, transportation, electricity, water, phone, internet and food. It is a lot more manageable than when the minimum wage was CI$6 an hour and people were taking home only CI$270 per week!

A professionally trained nanny with an early childhood certification who can drive, help the children with their reading and homework, cook and take care of all the children's needs is now averaging CI$4,000-$5,000 per month, before overtime. They would expect to work split shifts around the children's school day. 

Do you need a driver?

If you require help with driving your child to and from school or after school activities, then a nanny who can drive is essential. Consider whether or not the nanny’s car is suitable and safe for your children to be driven around in, or whether you will provide a car for the nanny’s use. Remember to pay for their gas or give them a fair allowance towards the weekly cost of their fuel bill.

Live-in or out?

Some positions that require long or late hours are more suitable for a live-in person. If opting for a live-in caregiver, you will be required to provide accommodation with sufficient space. If you are considering bringing a nanny on-Island, it is important to be mindful of the cost of living in Cayman for a single person, and factor that into your salary offer. Many families now offer a housing allowance. If your nanny or helper is from Jamaica, or somewhere relatively close, most families will include a yearly ticket back home as part of their contract or every other year if they are from further afield.

Experience and outlook?

Early childhood care greatly impacts childhood development. Does the nanny have experience and qualifications? Do they speak clearly? Are they warm and engaging? Do you feel comfortable and relaxed in their company? Do they have a similar set of values to you? Does their outlook on child rearing and education match with yours? Are they willing to learn through on-Island workshops and training?

Where To Find a Nanny?

Finding a good nanny in Cayman can be a challenge. As a transient destination, word often spreads quickly when a family relocates and a trusted nanny becomes available. Community groups such as 'KY Mommies Support Group' or 'KY Mommies Nanny Finder' and the 'Women in Cayman' Facebook page - the latter is a private group with over 10,000 members but you can ask to join it - are places where individuals are actively seeking work, but these platforms may not always meet high professional standards, so careful vetting remains essential.

Fr greater peace of mind, many families turn to a trusted agency. AAA Caregivers offers both short-term and long-term flexible childcare services.

Minerva Cayman is widely recognised as the gold standard in private staffing recruitment. The agency specialises in sourcing candidates for long-term placement, conducting in-depth interviews and reference checks, and managing every aspect of the employment process, including work permits, onboarding and relocation support.

For many families with young children who have moved here from overseas, the lack of family support can make life seem difficult. Your children's nanny or family helper will become an important person in your children's lives: your children will blossom if they are cared for by someone who truly loves and cares for them.

What To Look for in a Nanny

• Are they patient and kind with a loving and caring nature?
• Are they physically fit with high energy levels?
• Are they good at communicating and have they got good interpersonal skills?
• Are they trustworthy and reliable?
• Are they creative and do they show initiative?
• Are they flexible and adaptable?
• Can they drive?
• Can they swim?
• Do they have an up-to-date CPR certification?
• Can they prepare healthy meals and snacks for your children?
• Can they help with evening and weekend babysitting?

Choose which of these factors are the most important to you before you start the interviewing process.