A mother's help is usually 18-years-old or more. She has no formal training but may have had experience of this work before and/or comes from a large family and is used to helping in the home. She might have done a childcare course at school which involved helping out at local playschools and some practical experience with small babies.

A mother's help works on a team basis with the mother or father sharing childcare and light house work with them. If she's experienced and confident enough she can take sole charge of the children at times. Unlike nannies, mother's helps will do some light housework (dusting, hoovering etc.).

The mother's help position is designed to give childcarers more experience. As the position progresses, and as the mother and helper feel more confident, there should be more and more opportunity for the mother's help to have sole charge of the children. A mother's help earns a net weekly salary of between £200-£300 a week depending on her experience and whether the position is live in or out. Some employers also offer travelling expenses if the position is live-out. If living-in, the mother's help would expect her own room and to live as one of the family where possible.

A daily mother's help should not work for more than ten hours a day with one or two evenings per week babysitting paid on top of her wage (or as otherwise agreed). A residential mother's help should not work more than 10 hours per day (not taking into account evening babysitting). Residential mother's helps work up to two evenings babysitting per week (included in the wage). It is usual for both Daily and Residential mother's helps to receive two full days off per week (possibly working an occasional half or full day at the weekend by mutual arrangement, for extra money or time off in lieu) and holidays are negotiable although the nanny must, by law, have four weeks holiday each year.

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