Many families choose to hire live-in, full-time maids (nannies) to assist them with childcare and babysitting. Hiring a nanny is a relatively simple process. However, it can be quite expensive due to the sponsorship fees, and you'll also need to have an apartment or villa with suitable accommodation. 

If both you and your spouse work full time then a live-in maid is really your best option. Your maid can also help with cleaning, washing, cooking and other household jobs.

How to find a nanny
There are a number of registered agencies in Dubai, which organise everything from interviews to airfares and visas; they will charge an agency fee of around Dhs.3,500. It is preferable to recruit someone who is already in Dubaiyour best bet would be to find an expat who is leaving the country and no longer needs her maid. Speak to other parents and use community noticeboards, as well as the ads on expatwoman.com and dubizzle.com.

Pros and cons 
There are plenty of advantages to having a live-in nanny. It relatively inexpensive – generally much cheaper than in many expats’ home countries – and means that parents can enjoy more support and independence. On the other hand, keep in mind that first aid and childcare qualifications are not legally required for your babysitters or childcare workers in the UAE, so do your research to find one that suits you. Networking and word-of-mouth can pay dividends.

Can you afford it?
The average monthly wage is around Dhs.2,000 although you should allow an extra Dhs.400 for things like phone credit, food, clothes and toiletries. One of the prerequisites is an airfare to her home country, which is likely to cost about Dhs.3,500. The residence visa is Dhs.5,080 a year and the annual medical test will cost Dhs.325. You’ll also need to make a few one-off payments: Dhs.600 for health insurance, Dhs.140 for a Resident ID card and a refundable residence visa deposit of Dhs.2,030.