Mobilising nannies: Stratifying London's in-home childcare workforce

The landscape of informal childcare work is changing rapidly. Though the live-in sector remains largely migrant-dominated and poorly paid (Cox, 2015), the past few years have seen the rise of the average live-out nanny rate in London to £14.50 per hour-40% higher than the minimum wage.* Extensive research into nanny-employers has shown the effects that both class (Calarco, 2014; Halpern-Manners et al., 2020; Macdonald, 2010; Reay, 2005) and migration status (Anderson, 2000 & 2009; Busch, 2013; California, Waldinger & Lichter, 2003; Wrigley, 1995) have on hiring practices, yet there has been comparatively little inquiry into the broader divisions between workers, nor the impact of these divisions on workers' ability to mobilise effectively. Both in the academic literature and amongst workers themselves it is not currently understood what-if anything-unifies the workforce.

Consequently, the purpose of this research is to:
- Develop a stratified analysis of the in-home childcare workforce in London, exploring how workers' identities are impacted by migration status, ethnicity, race, and class;
- Capture the influence of this stratification on workers' ability to build collective power;
- Determine the potential for-and barriers to-organising nannies & au pairs in London, thereby aiding grassroots groups and trade unions to create collective demands and mobilise workers.

Working in conjunction with the Nanny Solidarity Network (NSN), a grassroots mutual-aid organisation for nannies & au pairs, this project proposes a radical inquiry into the potential for collective mobilisation among in-home childcare workers today. My unique position as both a nanny of nine years and Executive Director of this group provides me with unprecedented access to a collaborative sample: working in tandem with members of the NSN, I will ensure a collaborative and emancipatory process that is rooted in London's migrant nanny community.

Research Questions
1. How is the in-home childcare workforce stratified according to workers' differing class, race, ethnic, and migration backgrounds?
2. What is the impact of this stratification on workers' ability to build a collective power?
3. What are the barriers to the broad-scale mobilisation of nannies & au pairs and how can they be overcome?

Methodology

This project will take an interdisciplinary qualitative approach (Greckhamer, Koro-Ljungberg, Cilesiz, & Hayes, 2008), employing autoethnographic and participatory ethnographic methods (Greene et al., 1995). Research will begin with a collaborative development process alongside participants to develop solutions to ethical considerations, address reflexivity in the study, and troubleshoot the potential biases that may impede research. Textual data collated from online nanny platforms (including the NSN) will support the primary research.

*The National Minimum Wage in 2020, collated by LPC