I'm at the playground with 18-month-old Helena* and her mother, Rachel*. I'm a couple of years older than Rachel, and as I push Helena on the swing and we chat to other playground mothers I'm aware that they assume Rachel and I are friends. Or possibly sisters.
In actuality, I am the nanny. Rachel is not my friend, or my sister, or even my employer. She's a suburban mother whose physical and mental health are currently so compromised that she receives government funding for full-time childcare in her home. Provided by me.
Sometimes Rachel and I come clean, and tell the other mothers that we are mother and nanny to Helena. We don't go into the gory details of the situation, though. It's a bit too personal.
Rachel is currently pregnant with her second child, but it is a high-risk pregnancy, meaning she needs to rest most of the time. She cannot lift her daughter Helena at all. Depression and anxiety have crept in too, and Rachel has difficulty doing even basic things. Providing constant care for an active 18-month-old is too much for her, physically and emotionally. For Rachel's health to improve, and for Helena's development to stay on track, an extra pair of hands in the household is a necessity, not a luxury.
But because we don't divulge the whole story to the other mothers, they interpret the situation their own way: Rachel is one of those 'lucky' women, the ones who have a nanny.
Culturally, we often think mothers have nannies because they can, not because they actually need them. We've been subjected to stories of high society families being saved from child-rearing's more mundane moments by Mary Poppins or Fran Fine, or that poor young woman in The Nanny Diaries.
The mother in the stories is often of the rich, distracted type – think Mrs Banks. Having a nanny is normal for celebrities, businesswomen, and the otherwise wealthy. It's not for regular people. So where do Rachel and I fit into all of this?
Rachel is not a celebrity and she is not wealthy. It's uncommon to see nannies in her suburb. Childcare is normally provided in mainstream childcare centres where she lives, but when Rachel was prescribed bed rest she realised she couldn't lift Helena to get her to a centre and back again. Anyway, the childcare centres were all full.
Rachel has no family living locally, and her husband needs to work so that they don't lose their house. The stress of the situation took its toll, and Rachel was diagnosed with anxiety and depression on top of the high-risk pregnancy.
Things started to look brighter when a maternal health nurse suggested Rachel apply for government funding for in-home childcare – otherwise known as a nanny. In certain cases, Government funding contributes towards the cost of a nanny due to parental or child disability, or if parental physical or mental health is impaired. Rachel's situation was assessed and, fortunately, the funding was approved.
The nanny agency I work for has now placed me in Rachel's home for 13 weeks so that she can maximise the chance of her pregnancy going to full term. It helps her to know that Helena is receiving high-quality childcare right there at home where Rachel can see her and interact with her.
Unlike what we see in the films, then, having a nanny is no longer linked purely to wealth and privilege. Life happens, as they say, and no matter what crisis arises, children's needs still have to be met. Help from a nanny ensures physical, social and emotional development continues for each child while the family does what they need to do, to get back on track.
So while Rachel follows doctor's orders, I am there to do all the heavy lifting with Helena. I take her out on her tricycle, and run around after her in the backyard while she waters the flowers. Soon enough, Rachel will be able to take over. It does take a village to raise a child, and, while the new village looks very different from the days of Mary Poppins, nannies are still an integral part.
*names have been changed
Families experiencing mental or physical health challenges, disability or extreme financial hardship can apply for government funding known as Special Child Care Benefit (SCCB) funding. Families can find information about the funding at www.mychild.gov.au and www.humanservices.gov.au. Talk to your maternal and child health nurse if you would like more information.