Newborn twins were admitted to hospital this week after being left in the care of a nanny their parents found on Facebook.
The babies, just a few weeks old were admitted to Brisbane’s Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital after their mother was unable to wake them for their night feed.
Queensland police confirmed they are investigating a 41-year-old woman who was working without the required Blue Card.
The Courier Mail reports that the woman was a live-in nanny, hired to help the first-time parents, and the mother is understood to have been at home at the time.
The parents reportedly found the woman after she advertised her services on a Facebook page for parents with some 3,000 members and was also recommended by another family.
The woman will front court on September 26.
“We are shocked at the Australian Nanny Association by the reports that are coming to light in this case and feel terrible for the family involved,” president of the Australian Nanny Association Annemarie Sansom told News Corp.
“This person stated that they had a Working With Children Check and other background information but unfortunately the family was not aware that they needed to sight this documentation and verify it,” she continued.
“In fact the person did not hold a Working With Children Check and had an existing criminal record.”
Unregulated nannies is a growing concern as the costs of childcare continue to rise and parents are seeking alternative avenues.
The Australian Nanny Association are urging parents to ensure they run thorough background checks and the legal requirements involved when leaving their child in the care of someone else.
“People working with children in all states and territories either require a Working With Children Check or Working With Vulnerable People Check,” Samson continued.
“It is standard industry practice that nannies hold current first aid and CPR, have undertaken professional development training in child care and can also provide recent contactable professional child care related referees.”
