China sets standards for confinement nannies amid booming postnatal-care business
New rule divides helpers into six levels based on skills and experience
Confinement nannies will now have to meet a set of standards, as the government tries to regulate the mainland's booming postnatal-care business.
The nannies must be aged between 18 and 55, hold a junior high school diploma and must not have any criminal record, history of mental disorder, or suffer from any infectious disease, the Standardisation Administration said on Sunday.
Chinese traditions require new mothers to stay indoors for at least 30 days after giving birth and to observe a strict regimen focused on taking nutritious food and resting adequately.
Confinement nannies are often hired to care for the mothers and their newborns. Their tasks include preparing specially formulated meals for the mothers, and bathing, feeding and playing with the babies as the mothers recover from their labour.
According to the administration, the regulation that takes effect in February divides these nannies into six levels based on their skills and experience.
To attain the highest "gold medal" level, a confinement nanny has to satisfy all standard requirements and undergo various training sessions and assessments. She would have to hold a senior certificate for household service and infant care as well as an intermediate dietician certificate.
She must also have at least two years of experience, during which time no complaint should have been filed against her by the families who hired her.
According to the administration, on top of the nannies' routine tasks, they should also be able to provide new mothers with postnatal counselling, instruct them on body-reshaping exercises, recognise and prevent common diseases in newborns, and teach babies in various areas such as how to move and use their senses.
But some mothers have raised doubts about the practicality of setting such standards. "As long as the confinement nannies are good at doing their job, it's fine," said a 32-year-old mother from Guangzhou.
"It's very hard to set the standards fairly."
Alongside the new regulation for confinement nannies, the administration also issued a directive to access and rank agencies providing domestic help services, dividing them into five levels.
The agencies are required to register their business, hire at least three employees with high school diplomas and two years of working experience, and have a venue for training staff as well as the ability to organise health checks and pay insurance for their staff.
