The term au pair means 'on equal terms.' Raquel Camarasa asks, how often is that really the case, really, for young migrant women who come to live with families as au pairs today?

First Raquel hears about the Ayahs home in Hackney. The home provided accommodation for Indian Ayahs and Chinese Amahs, who were nannies that cared for the children of British colonial families on the long voyages between India and China and Britain.

Raquel shares her own experiences as an au pair, both positive and negative, and speaks to people working as au pairs in London now. Why, they ask, is this form of childcare not regulated? Why are there few protections for au pairs?

Check out the Nanny Solidarity Network: https://nannysolidaritynetwork.co.uk/ and the IWGB Nanny and Au Pair Union Branch - https://iwgb.org.uk/en/page/nannies-and-au-pairs/

This episode contains:

* An interview with Niti Acharya from Hackney Museum recorded by Rosa Schling and Veronica Deutsch for On the Record

* Interviews with Aleja, and Lily and Inma recorded by Raquel Camarasa

CREDITS:

Episode produced by Raquel Camarasa

Artwork by Eva Freeman

Sound design by Hannah Kemp Welch

Image caption: Ayah takes Grace and Paul Friesen, brother and sister to John, for a walk in the go-cart. India, M.P.

Citation: Mennonite Board of Missions Photograph Collection. India MP, 1951-1963. IV-10-7.2. Box 4, Folder 24, Photo #23. Mennonite Church Archives. Elkhart, Indiana.

This podcast is part of the Grow Your Own oral history project, run by On the Record and funded by Trust for London. Find out more at https://on-the-record.org.uk/projects/grow-your-own/ or follow us on twitter @growyourown_ohp and instagram @on_the_record_stories

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode 7 of Childcare Voices, Aga asks 'Who Cares for the Youths?' and looks at what kind of 'childcare' is needed when children are older. Aga is mum to two active teenage boys, who love trips and baking, but she says it is hard to find creative activities for them to do, especially during the school holidays.

Aga finds that youth services have suffered devastating cuts in the last decade. She wishes young people could have opportunities to go away on trips, gain new experiences and play together. She looks to the past to see how people organised on a grassroots level to provide opportunities for their children and young people, and talks about community organising in the London borough of Hackney today.

Aga is part of Red Roots Incubator, a community interest company - https://www.redrootsincubator.org/ Follow them on Instagram @redrootsincubator and X @RRIncubator

This episode contains:

* Interview with Kevin Jenkins, recorded by Rosa Schling for Holding the Baby, an On the Record project

* Interview with Empress and Kwame, recorded by Agnieszka Rolkiewicz

CREDITS:

Episode produced by Agnieszka Rolkiewicz

Episode image by John Blower

Artwork by Eva Freeman

Sound design by Hannah Kemp Welch

This podcast is part of the Grow Your Own oral history project, run by On the Record and funded by Trust for London. Find out more at https://on-the-record.org.uk/projects/grow-your-own/ or follow us on twitter @growyourown_ohp and instagram @on_the_record_stories

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Mona Adam wants to know more about what it is like to work in nurseries. As a councillor in the London borough of Kensington and Chelsea she has visited nurseries and enjoyed spending time with the staff and children there. While the nurseries seemed like happy places, she wonders if there are hidden challenges she is unaware of in this demanding, but essential, job?

Mona investigates the situation for childcare workers both today and in the past, discovering that childcare is underfunded and suffering from a shortage of trained staff. Despite the government's plans to extend the existing childcare subsidy, does the existing system have the capacity to deal with such an expansion?

This episode contains:

* Interview with Jenny Williams, recorded by Rosa Schling for Grow Your Own, an On the Record project

* Interview with Helen Penn, recorded by Rosa Schling for Grow Your Own, an On the Record project

CREDITS:

Episode produced by Mona Adam

Artwork by Eva Freeman

Sound design by Hannah Kemp Welch

This podcast is part of the Grow Your Own oral history project, run by On the Record and funded by Trust for London.

Find out more at https://on-the-record.org.uk/projects/grow-your-own/ or follow us on twitter @growyourown_ohp and instagram @on_the_record_stories

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.