Taiwan is an extremely kid-friendly destination, but parents should also relax and enjoy some activities that are for adults only. Babysitters are difficult to find because locals rely on family for childcare support. It’s not common to have strangers babysit, however, the culture is shifting a bit with more foreign business families and overseas Taiwanese living in Taiwan. Here’s how to find Taipei babysitter so you enjoy a quiet dip in the hot springs, explore a more difficult hike, or imbibe at a local distillery.
Ask a Local
Enlist Relatives
This is a bit of a no-brainer, but you can ask your relatives if they know anyone that can babysit. Maybe it’s a younger cousin or a neighbor that can help out occasionally. If you are lucky, maybe a family member can help too!
Inquire With Your Landlord/Host
The first time I took both kids to Taiwan, I booked an Airbnb. It was my good fortune to find a very kind and helpful host. He saw that I was solo-parenting two toddlers and referred another mom that lived in the same building. Her kids are older so she was able to help when they were in school and babysit at night if needed. Now I rent his apartment whenever we return to Taiwan.
Beg Strangers
Just kidding! However, if you are at a neighborhood playground, the library, market, etc. ask other parents. I get all the best tips from other moms at the playground. Who knows, they may even share their babysitter. If not, you’ve made a friend and perhaps they will be interested in a date night swap where you switch off watching each other’s children.
Post in a Local Facebook Group for Parents
Taipei Parents and Expat Mamas are my favorite local Facebook groups in Taipei for parenting needs. Although the groups are small, members are active and extremely helpful. I’ve occasionally seen members offer babysitting services or recommend a babysitter. It’s rare though, but worth a try, especially if you don’t speak Chinese.
到府保母服務社團 This is a local group with almost 70k members. It’s mainly for parents to find a licensed registered nanny but you could post that you are looking for a babysitter. You’ll need to read Chinese though, or use the translate feature and google translate to communicate. You might get lucky and find a sitter that speaks a little English.
Babysitter vocabulary in Chinese to help with your job post:
Babysitter: 陪玩夥伴
Licensed Professional Nanny: 合法登記保母
Nanny: 保母
Temporary Childcare: 臨時托育服務
Must speak English: 必須會說英文
Temporary nanny wanted: 誠徵 臨時保母
Find a Taipei Babysitter Online
It’s so exciting that Taiwan is finally catching up in the online space and now parents are able to find childcare online. Of course, make sure to check references and certifications.
Bananny
Bananny boasts over 2000 babysitter profiles on their site and more than 13,000 nannies. The website is in Chinese and the translate feature only seems to work on some pages. In addition to finding childcare, the Bananny blog is a wealth of information, including a very detailed Taipei babysitter rate comparison and local activities and services for kids.
Babysits
I recently came learned of Babysits, a global childcare marketplace that recently launched a website in Taiwan. The Babysits website is in English and the user interface is familiar and easy to use. You can search for babysitters by location, age, language, experience, skills, availability, hourly rate, and more! You can also create your family profile so that caregivers can find you.
As of today, there are only 30 babysitters on the site. Spread the word about Babysits and there will be more childcare providers soon.
How much do you pay a Taipei Babysitter?
Rates seem to be anywhere from NT$250-$500 per hour for one child. I suggest chatting with parents in your neighborhood to get a sense of the going rate.
Finding Longterm Childcare
If you are in Taiwan for an extended period of time, you may want to hire a nanny that comes on a regular schedule. You can search for nannies, daycares, and preschools on the official city websites which are in all Chinese. Be warned, the user experience can be overwhelming.
Official Taipei Parenting Network (臺北育兒網)
臺北市嬰幼兒托育地圖 (Taipei Infant Care Map)
Full transparency, I found zero results for nannies no matter how I searched. I am bookmarking this option just in case!
Finding a Preschool/Kindergarten in Taipei
If you child is between 2-6 years old, you can consider enrolling in a local preschool. Please be aware that most preschools do not allow short-term enrollment and ask that your child attend for at least 3 months. Here are some tips on finding a preschool or kindergarten in Taiwan.
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