The recent incident involving a nanny that was recorded beating one of the triplets entrusted to her care revealed the extent to which the attempt to regulate this market and introduce occupational licensing failed. The licensing was expected to provide qualified caregivers, but was largely ignored in favor of the unofficial market.

Only some 400 nannies were hired in 2018 through the licensed agencies. The agencies did receive a far greater number of requests, by about 80 percent, but could not provide enough candidates as most decide to go through the unofficial channels.

A license is of course not enough to make an estimate of whether the person is suitable to take care of children. We need greater control, medical checks, suitable education… There is currently no formal education provided for nannies and the market is open to all high school graduates, pending on their experience and the interviewing process. Some of the candidates lacked basic knowledge in nutrition, first aid or educating the chil. Others had unimaginable disciplinary lapses such as lighting a cigarette in front of the child, using their smartphones or watching television instead of organizing activities, said representatives from the Macedonian nanny association contacted by Republika.

The regulations require medical checks, proof that the candidate has not been banned from working as a nanny or had a prior sentence and the payment of a fee. The nanny in question in the incident that was recorded in he Deja Vu restaurant was not licensed. She is currently in a month long detention, after the security cameras showed her severely mistreating the child.

I couldn’t watch the entire recording, couldn’t watch her suffocating my child. I want her to be charged with attempted murder, not just neglect. My child can’t sleep now, keeps crying, said the mother from the incident.