Oka NannysNanny vs au pair vs babysitter vs maternity nurse: what's the difference?
Families moving to or visiting the Costa del Sol often don't know which type of childcare they need. Here is the simple version, with a comparison table.
Oka Nannys guide · 13 October 2026
A nanny is a professional childcarer employed to look after your children in your home, usually for set hours. A babysitter covers occasional evenings or short periods. An au pair is a young person living with a family on a cultural-exchange basis, who does light childcare for pocket money — not a professional nanny. A childminder looks after children in her own home. A maternity nurse (or night nanny) is an experienced newborn carer, usually not medically qualified. A governess combines childcare with teaching.
The five types of childcare, compared
| Nanny | Babysitter | Au pair | Childminder | Maternity nurse / night nanny | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where | Your home | Your home | Lives in your home | Her own home | Your home |
| Hours | Set hours, part- or full-time | Occasional | Limited weekly hours | Set hours | Nights or full days, for weeks |
| Experience | Professional | Varies | Usually young, little experience | Professional | Experienced with newborns |
| Best for | Regular care and routine | Date nights and events | Light help and cultural exchange | Families who prefer a home setting | Newborn and sleep support |
| Oka Nannys offers | Yes | Yes | No | No | Night nanny & newborn nanny |
Nanny (also spelled “nannie”)
A nanny (the plural is nannies; the older spelling nannie is rare) is a childcare professional employed by a family to care for the children, usually in the family's home. She follows your routines and values, handles meals, play, school runs and homework, and may be part-time, full-time or live-in. See our nanny agency for how we place them.
Babysitter
A babysitter covers short, occasional periods — an evening out, an event, a few hours. She is not usually a long-term, structured role. If you want a trusted one on call, see babysitter in Marbella.
Au pair
An au pair is typically a young person who lives with a host family for a period, helps with light childcare and housework in exchange for board, lodging and pocket money, and has cultural and language exchange as the point of the arrangement. An au pair is not a trained, professional nanny, and the legal framework (and what you may ask of an au pair) differs from ordinary employment. For newborns, many children or a demanding schedule, a professional nanny is usually the better fit.
Childminder
In the UK a childminder looks after other people's children in her own home, often registered and inspected. Childminding in the British sense is less common on the Costa del Sol; most expat families use nannies in their own home.
Maternity nurse & night nanny
A maternity nurse is an experienced newborn carer who lives in or works nights for the first weeks. Despite the name, it is usually not a medical qualification. A night nanny does the overnight part only. Read about our night nanny service. A doula supports parents around birth and postpartum; a midwife is medically qualified.
Governess
A governess combines childcare with teaching or tutoring, often for homeschooled children or those needing language and study support.
Which should you choose?
- Occasional evenings: a babysitter.
- Regular weekly care or school runs: a part-time nanny.
- Full-time care, newborns or multiple children: a full-time or live-in nanny.
- Newborn nights: a night nanny or maternity nurse.
- Light help plus a language exchange: an au pair, if you accept the limits.
Not sure which you need?
Message us your children's ages and what a normal week looks like — we will tell you honestly what fits.