Summary
After some research this week, we estimate the UK nanny workforce is shrinking at pace. Based on industry data, agency insight, and lived experience across the sector, we estimate that the number of nannies currently working in the UK has fallen to approximately 30,000 — down from previous estimates of around 40,000 in 2022.
Two major policy and economic changes have converged at the same time, creating a real problem for the profession:
- The roll‑out of government-funded childcare to children from 9 months old, significantly reducing demand for full-time private nanny roles
- The introduction of 20% VAT on private school fees, placing additional financial pressure on families who traditionally employ nannies
Together, these changes have had a real impact on families’ childcare choices, the availability of full-time nanny roles, and the long-term sustainability of nannying as a career.
What’s driving the decline?
Loss of full-time nanny roles
Historically, the nanny workforce has been built around stable, long-term, full-time employment. Increasingly, those roles are disappearing.
Many families are now:
- Using funded nursery places for younger children
- Combining part-time nursery care with ad hoc nanny cover
- Delaying permanent nanny employment while waiting for funding eligibility
This has resulted in a sharp reduction in full-time positions — particularly for professional career nannies who rely on predictable hours and income. Some nannies report looking for a role is taking 6 months- 2 years.
Financial pressure on employing families
The introduction of VAT on private school fees has had a knock-on effect beyond education.
Families already managing rising living costs are being forced to reassess household budgets. For many, this means:
- Reducing nanny hours
- Switching from full-time to part-time or temporary arrangements
- Leaving the nanny market altogether
For nannies, this translates directly into fewer permanent roles and increased financial insecurity. These decisions are also impacting baby and children’s activities and classes, with less uptake. So the decisions of the government are rippling out to other sectors too.
The rise of temporary and short-term work
A growing trend across the sector is the increase in:
- Temporary roles
- Short-term placements
- ‘Stop-gap’ nanny work while families wait for funding to begin
While this allows families flexibility, it presents serious challenges for nannies.
Impact on Nanny CVs
Professional nannies are increasingly forced to piece together an income through multiple short-term roles. As a result:
- CVs now show frequent role changes, not due to poor performance but market instability
- Long-term placements are becoming harder to demonstrate
- Nannies risk being unfairly perceived as ‘job-hoppers’
This trend masks the reality: experienced, committed professionals adapting to survive in a fractured childcare market.
A profession at risk
If current conditions continue, we predict the number of nannies working in the UK will fall further and faster over the next 12–24 months.
This has serious implications:
- Families who rely on bespoke, home-based childcare will have fewer options
- Children with additional needs or complex routines may lose access to appropriate care
- The sector risks losing highly experienced nannies permanently
Once lost, this professional workforce will not be easy — or quick — to rebuild.
Why this matters
Nannies play a role in the UK’s childcare market. They:
- Support working parents with flexible, responsive care
- Provide continuity and attachment for young children
- Offer an essential option for families whose needs are not met by group settings
Yet nannies remain largely invisible in policy decisions — despite being directly affected by them.
Our call to action
Yet again, and we will keep shouting it-we urge policymakers, sector leaders, and childcare organisations to:
- Recognise nannies as a vital part of the childcare workforce
- Include nannies in workforce planning
- Address the unintended consequences of funding policy on home-based childcare
- Support sustainable, professional nanny employment
Without urgent action, the UK risks losing an entire layer of experienced childcare professionals. Please sign our petition on including nannies in government funding schemes.