What Our Research Reveals About Facebook & WhatsApp Childcare Groups
Over the last five years, Facebook and WhatsApp have quietly become two of the largest places where families and nannies find each other. What originally started as small, friendly neighbourhood groups has grown into a vast informal marketplace for childcare recruitment across the UK.
The National Nanny Association recently reviewed online activity across Facebook and WhatsApp to understand how nannies are being hired—and what risks these platforms may unintentionally create for families and childcare workers.
Our findings highlight important positives, but also serious safeguarding concerns that families, nannies, and industry professionals must be aware of.
The Scale: Thousands of Groups, Hundreds of Thousands of Members
Our research identified nearly 5,000 Facebook groups in the UK relating to nannying, babysitting, childcare jobs, or household help. Many of these groups are enormous:
- The largest—Need a Nanny / Babysitter / Housecleaning—has 238,000+ members and sees 100–300 posts per day.
- City-level groups (London, Manchester, Birmingham) commonly have 50,000–100,000 members and post 30–50 jobs daily.
- Even small local groups regularly post new nanny roles each day.
WhatsApp communities show similar scale, with several London groups exceeding 1,000 members, often posting 10–50 jobs per day.
It’s clear these platforms now play a significant role in childcare recruitment.
The Problem: Almost No Oversight or Vetting
While these groups appear friendly and community-led, many of them operate with no formal verification or safeguarding protocols. This means:
Anyone can join
Including individuals who may not be suitable to work with children—or who actively seek access to vulnerable families.
Administrators often do not check identity
Many admins are simply fellow group members who approve join requests without checking:
- DBS status
- Employment history
- Identity
- References
- Intent
This creates extremely easy access to families and job opportunities for people who may pose a risk.
People can be added to WhatsApp groups without consent
One of our researchers was added to a large London WhatsApp group without being asked. This means group creators can inject strangers into childcare networks instantly and without safeguarding, permission or not following GDPR.
Inconsistent rules and gatekeeping
Shockingly, the same researcher was later removed after it was discovered they worked with an nanny agency—yet no member, including parents and unknown numbers, had been vetted at all.
In many groups:
- Members can face bullying when asking for certain qualifications or requirements
- Nannies are added or removed without explanation
- Agencies are charged fees for posting job descriptions or blocked
- Fake profiles or unverified individuals stay unchecked
This leaves both nannies and families exposed.
The Risks: Why Families and Nannies Should Be Cautious
Our findings point to several serious issues:
1. Safeguarding Concerns
There is no guarantee that people joining these groups are safe, qualified, or legally allowed to work with children.
2. Cash-in-Hand, No-Contract Roles
This leaves both parties vulnerable:
- No employment rights
- No insurance
- No protections
- Legal risks for families
- Banking risks for nannies
3. Money Laundering
Nannies have reported being asked to deposit cash, unaware of the potential legal consequences.
4. False Representation
Some administrators are calling themselves agencies when they are not, and disguise job posts as “personal recommendations,”
5. Anonymity
WhatsApp displays only phone numbers—making it impossible to verify who you’re interacting with.
6. Group Bullying and Cultural Tension
Reported hostility towards language barriers, cultural preferences, or legitimate questions about safety.
Why This Matters for the National Nanny Association
These platforms have become major recruitment channels, but they function outside the standards and expectations of the regulated early years sector. Safeguarding children must remain at the heart of childcare hiring, and these groups currently operate without accountability.
The Association is concerned about:
- The ease with which unsafe individuals could access jobs
- The lack of consent when adding people to groups
- The power group administrators hold without any training or oversight
- The growing trend of roles being advertised without contracts or DBS checks or being self employed.
- The reputational damage this could cause to the nannying profession as a whole
We are now exploring safer, more transparent pathways for families and nannies, and examining how online childcare groups may be better vetted, monitored, or standardised.
Our Advice to Families and Nannies Using These Groups
While online groups can be helpful for local networking, we strongly advise:
For Families:
✔ Always ask for a DBS check
✔ Always request references
✔ Always use a written contract
✔ Never hire from anonymous numbers
✔ Be cautious of offers that sound “too good to be true”
For Nannies:
✔ Never accept cash-only roles
✔ Never attend interviews without safety information
✔ Do not share personal documents in group chats
✔ Report suspicious posts
✔ Prioritise roles with contracts and clear expectations
Moving Forward
Social media has changed nanny recruitment—but it cannot replace professional safeguarding standards. As these informal networks continue to grow, the National Nanny Association is committed to raising awareness, improving safety, and advocating for clearer protections for both families and childcare professionals. This is why we are fighting for mandatory DBS checks at the very least, and maybe one day Nanny regulation. Please see our page Road to Nanny Regulation here: https://thenationalnannyassociation.co.uk/nanny-regulation-in-the-uk-the-road-to-regulation/
Please check out the Association of Nanny Agencies for their members list of reputable nanny agencies who are following best practice in Nanny Recruitment. https://anauk.org/find-an-agency/
If you have experienced any concerns in these groups, we would like to hear from you-info@thenationalnannyassociation.co.uk