If there were such a thing as a job review, Eloisa nailed it

Most employers don’t give nannies six-month reviews for their job performance, and few receive regular pay raises commensurate with amount of time employed or cost of living increases. For example, during this study bus fare increased from $3.00 per day to $5.00 in July 2007. Not a single interviewee paid or received a raise.

Paid private childcare has a job requirement usually reserved for motherhood or other intimate family relationships. It is emotional labor, difficult to measure, evaluate, and compensate for. Like eldercare, childcare eludes standardization and regulation, but when it’s done well, it’s easy to spot. Eloisa’s 14-month-old client child had trouble connecting with children and adults. His former babysitter seemed to delay his social development by driving him around in her car for hours until he fell asleep. One of three children of full-time working parents, he didn’t come to the park until Eloisa got the job. When I met her she had been with this family for only four months and knew very few park nannies. The boy cried frequently, struggled with sharing and taking turns, and rarely talked or laughed.

Within two months, he had a best friend, smiled easily, and, “He doesn’t cry anymore,” reported Eloisa proudly. I watched him venture off to explore the playground with confidence. His family had gone on a weeklong vacation giving the parents a chance to spend lots of time with him. The change had become evident. When they returned his mother related to Eloisa how pleased and happy she was with his progress. With relief and gratitude she revealed, “We didn’t know what to do.” Curious about how Eloisa had achieved this transformation in her son, she came along with them to the park a few days ago. Eloisa’s park labor network had benefited him greatly. She had used her social ease and connections to promote change in the boy. Eloisa had grown close to Maritza and Carria and their client children had become fast friends.