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Published on: 19/11/2024Updated on: 19/11/2024
Thirty years ago, "nannies," as they are still often called, were invisible: shadow workers, undeclared employees performing one of the most delicate and essential tasks for families—helping children grow. For three decades, we have worked to shape and support the evolution of this profession with a clear ambition: professionalizing those who practice it. To celebrate National Childcare Assistants Day, we highlight the hard-earned recognition of this profession and the challenges that remain to be tackled.
Making the Invisible Visible
Being a childcare provider in 2024 means having a voice, a status, rights, and recognition. It is now a respected profession with an official name, gradually replacing the affectionate but somewhat reductive terms like "nanny," "childminder," or "auntie." This recognition is a source of pride for professionals, and we share it as a certification body mandated by the sector for private employers and the home employment industry. More importantly, it is a long-overdue acknowledgment of a deeply human profession that is at the heart of major societal issues.
In 2022, childcare providers provided 53% of the total childcare services for young children*. According to data from Urssaf Caisse Nationale and the Directorate for Research, Studies, Evaluation, and Statistics (DREES), approximately 800,000 private employers employed certified childcare providers.
Being able to quantify the number of professionals is a significant victory. This was not always the case—far from it!
30 Years of Professionalization
IPERIA was founded in 1994 in Alençon (Orne) with a mission: to promote the domestic employment sector and support its professionalization, primarily focusing on domestic workers employed in private households, often on an undeclared basis. The process of structuring and recognizing these roles began in 1999 when the professional branch of private employer workers entrusted us with designing and implementing its professionalization policy. In 2006, the professional branch of childcare providers also sought our expertise. The year 2009 marked a crucial milestone with the introduction of the first professional certification titles, including "Childcare Provider – Childminder," officially registered in the National Directory of Professional Certifications (RNCP).
Over the years, training and certification have been strengthened. This progress was achieved through the development of specific training modules for childcare providers, the establishment of pathways for the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), the creation of a national network of partner training organizations, and, in 2021, the registration of new specialized certifications in the Specific Directory. These specializations address areas such as supporting individuals with autism spectrum disorders, working with disabled children, and organizing work within shared childminding facilities.
Today, we are in a phase of heightened professionalization and skills recognition. Between 2018 and 2022**, the number of individuals enrolling in training programs more than doubled, increasing from 55,407 to 119,545 training courses facilitated by IPERIA.
Legitimacy and visibility have always been the driving forces behind our actions, taking tangible form through career-focused videos featuring our ambassadors advocating for professionalization in the family employment sector.
Thinking and Preparing for the Future
Over the past 30 years, the sector has been structured to meet the growing needs of families and adapt to social changes. "Nanny" has become a recognized profession offering career growth and professional fulfillment.And what about the future? The challenges remain immense. One of the most significant figures to keep in mind is this: by 2030, 151,800 childcare providers—48% of the workforce—will retire***. How do we address this?
Securing the future of childcare providers means continuously shaping the profession through analysis, forecasting studies, and the development of new competency frameworks. It involves revisiting and adapting professional certifications, as well as creating specialized training programs that align with social changes. The goal is to ensure that childcare practices evolve alongside shifting family dynamics, prioritize children's well-being and development, and integrate new technologies.
Comprehensive Support: A 360-Degree Approach
IPERIA supports (future) employees at every level: guidance, training, certification, and career development. Our role is embodied in the Professional Guidance and Career Development Council (COEPS), a tool within the private employers' sector, for which we have been entrusted with operational oversight. This free and personalized service has already helped 1,300 (future) employees in just one year to explore the sector, advance within it, choose a career path, or enhance their skills.
This initiative reflects our unwavering commitment to this essential profession and our dedication to the recognition of both professional and transferable skills.
* Directorate for Research, Studies, Evaluation, and Statistics (DREES)
** Report on the Professionalization Policy of the Private Employers' Sector and the Home Employment Industry – 2022
*** Home Employment Observatory – Prospective Study on the Professional Branches of Childcare Providers and Private Employer Workers: Addressing the Challenges of Employment, Professions, and Skills by 2030, led by Eva Barachino and Nadège Turco, IPERIA, Paris, 2021
