The Decision Guide

Which Type of Nanny Does Your Family Need?

Live-in, live-out, rota, maternity nurse, short-term or governess — six structures, one right answer for your household. This guide gets you there in plain English.

Ask Us Directly

Quick answer

Choose a live-in nanny for daily full-time care at home, and a live-out nanny for set hours with your privacy back at night. Choose a rota pair — two nannies alternating fixed rotations — when you need genuine 24/7 cover, and a maternity nurse for the first weeks with a newborn. Short-term and seasonal nannies cover a summer, a charter or a holiday; a governess adds education for school-age children.

At a Glance

The Six Structures, Compared

Every childcare structure answers a different question: how many hours, who lives where, and what the household actually needs covered. The table below is the short version; each row links to its full guide.

Role	Hours	Where they live	Cost frame (2026)	Best for
Live-in nanny	Full-time days, flexibility by agreement	In the family home, private room and board	Monaco €3,500–€4,500+/mo net; London £45,000–£55,000+/yr gross	Full-time daily care at home, busy or travelling parents
Live-out nanny	Set hours, typically five days	Her own home; she leaves each evening	Riviera day rates €180–€300+; live-out gross runs above live-in	Structured weeks, families who want privacy at night
Rota nanny pair	24/7 in alternating rotations, ~26 weeks/yr each	Lives in during weeks on, fully away when off	€60,000–€120,000+/yr per nanny; two salaries for full cover	Round-the-clock cover, multi-residence and travelling households
Maternity nurse	24-hour or night-only, 6–12 week engagements	Lives in for the engagement	Monaco €5,000–€6,000+/mo; UK indicative £250–£450/day	The first weeks with a newborn — feeding, sleep, recovery
Short-term / seasonal	A day to a full season	Live-in or daily, depending on the booking	Riviera day rates €180–€300+	Villa summers, charters, hotel stays, events, ski weeks
Governess	School-shaped days, term-time rhythm	Live-in or live-out	Senior-professional salaries; brief-dependent	School-age children needing academics, languages, enrichment

Full figures for every city and role — and what determines them — are in the Nanny Salary & Cost Guide 2026.

Choose by Situation

Start From Your Life, Not the Job Title

Families rarely arrive asking for a "rota governess" — they arrive with a calendar, an age range and a problem to solve. These are the situations we hear most, answered directly.

You both travel constantly between residences

A rota pair. Two senior nannies alternating fixed rotations means the on-duty nanny simply travels with the children — Monaco in spring, London in term time, the Alps in winter — and there is never a week without cover. Monaco households do this more than anyone: see rota nannies in Monaco.

A newborn is arriving and there is no village

A maternity nurse first — 6 to 12 weeks of specialist newborn care, day-and-night or night-only — then a live-in nanny for the long term. Brief both searches together and the handover is seamless.

A Monaco apartment and school-age children

A live-out daily nanny in Monaco. School runs, afternoons, homework and evenings covered on set hours — without dedicating a staff room in an apartment where every square metre counts.

A summer at the villa in Saint-Tropez

A short-term or seasonal nanny for the season — from a fortnight to the whole summer, at Riviera day rates of €180–€300+, fully declared even for short engagements.

Relocating to Dubai with young children

A live-in nanny in Dubai. The standard package — tax-free salary plus private accommodation, flights and a family-sponsored visa — is built for live-in, and a settled nanny is the fastest way to make a new city feel like home.

Bright children who need more than childcare

A governess — an educator who leads homework, languages and enrichment with a school-shaped rhythm. Some families combine a governess with a nanny for younger siblings, or build a rota pairing one of each.

Full-time help at home, and you like having her there

The classic live-in nanny — one dedicated professional, room and board provided, full days with flexibility by agreement. Still the structure most families choose, in every city we serve.

A hotel week in Monaco, or regular evenings out

Vetted babysitting through our short-term register — temporary, seasonal and short-notice nannies across Monaco and the Riviera, same standards of vetting as every permanent placement.

Still Between Two Structures?

Most hesitations come down to two comparisons. Live-in versus live-out is a question of privacy, space and hours — we have written it up properly in Live-In vs Live-Out Nanny. And if 24/7 cover is on the table, read What Is a Rota Nanny? before comparing offers — rota numbers mislead anyone reading them as weekly rates.

Costs for every option, by city and role, are in the Salary & Cost Guide 2026.

Or Simply Ask

Tell us your calendar, your children's ages and what a good week looks like, and we will tell you honestly which structure fits — including when the answer is a simpler, cheaper one than you expected. A consultation follows within 48 hours of your enquiry, and Lumière quotes its fee and realistic salary bands in writing before any introductions.

Founder-led advice from a working career nanny
Service in English, French and Russian
Free re-match within the first three months

Explore Further

Every Structure, In Depth

Live-In Nanny Guide Live-Out Nanny Guide Rota Nanny Guide Maternity Nurse Guide Short-Term & Seasonal Private Governess Long-Term & Permanent Nannies Salary & Cost Guide 2026 Live-In vs Live-Out What Is a Rota Nanny?

Choosing a Nanny: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a live-in and a live-out nanny?

A live-in nanny lives in the family home, with a private room and board as part of her package, and suits households needing full-time daily care with flexibility around the edges. A live-out nanny works set hours and goes home each evening, which preserves the family's privacy at night. Live-out gross salaries generally run higher than live-in because no accommodation is provided.

What is a rota nanny?

A rota nanny is one of a pair of senior nannies who alternate fixed rotations — typically two weeks on, two weeks off — so the household has continuous 24-hour childcare with no gaps and no burnout. Each nanny lives in during her weeks on and is completely off between rotations. Each earns €60,000 to €120,000+ per year, and families budget two salaries for full cover.

When do I need a maternity nurse instead of a nanny?

For the first weeks with a newborn. A maternity nurse is a certified newborn specialist who works day-and-night or night-only, establishing feeding and sleep in a typical engagement of 6 to 12 weeks. A nanny then takes over for the long term — many families brief the permanent live-in search during the maternity booking so the handover is seamless.

What if we only need childcare for the summer?

A short-term or seasonal nanny covers a defined stretch — a villa summer in Saint-Tropez, a charter fortnight, a hotel stay in Monaco or ski weeks in the Alps — from a single day to a full season. Lumière keeps an active register of temporary, seasonal, summer and short-notice nannies, strongest across Monaco and the French Riviera, and every engagement is declared even when it lasts a week.

How much does each type of nanny cost?

In 2026: live-in nannies earn €3,500–€4,500+ per month net in Monaco, €3,000–€4,500+ net on the French Riviera, £45,000–£55,000+ gross per year in London and AED 8,000–25,000+ tax-free per month in Dubai. Riviera day rates run €180–€300+. Rota nannies earn €60,000–€120,000+ per year each, with two engaged for full cover, and maternity nurses in Monaco earn €5,000–€6,000+ per month. The Lumière Salary & Cost Guide sets out every figure by city and role.

Can we change the structure if our needs change?

Yes — families' needs evolve, and the structure should follow. A maternity nurse often hands over to a live-in nanny; a live-in role can become live-out once children are at school; a travelling year can justify moving to a rota pair. Lumière advises on the change and re-briefs the search, and every placement carries a free re-match within the first three months if the fit is not right.

What is the difference between a nanny and a governess?

A nanny leads daily care — routines, meals, activities, school runs. A governess is an educator for school-age children: homework supervision, languages, enrichment and academic structure, alongside or instead of hands-on care. Households with wide age ranges sometimes employ both, or a rota pair combining one nanny and one governess.

Not Sure? That Is What the Consultation Is For

Describe your household and your year, and we will recommend the structure honestly — even when the right answer is the simpler one. A consultation follows within 48 hours.

Begin the Conversation

The Lumière difference

Founded by a working career nanny, not a recruiter

"I founded Lumière because the families I worked for kept asking the same question: where do we find another nanny like you? I still take private placements. Every nanny I place is one I would work alongside."

Hanna founded Lumière Placements after years inside private households as a career nanny. She continues to take selected private placements alongside leading the agency, a working-nanny perspective that shapes every shortlist Lumière puts forward. Lumière is the only French Riviera-based boutique placement agency, placing across Monaco, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, Cannes, Saint-Tropez and Nice, and worldwide, founded and led by an active working career nanny.

Why families choose Lumière

Based: French Riviera
Founder: Hanna, working career nanny
Approach: Families understood from the inside, the right nanny for the right family
Qualifications: Norland, CACHE, NNEB, Montessori
Vetting: References verified, DBS where applicable
Employment: Declared, full contracts
Reach: 17 cities · 3 continents
Specialisms: Live-in, rota, governess, maternity, yacht, travel