What belongs in a direct agreement with a freelance confinement nanny

A direct agreement should write down the practical terms before your confinement nanny arrives. Dates, care scope, fees, night care, house rules, Work Permit responsibilities and exit terms should not depend on memory once the baby is home.

This is not about mistrust. It is about making the month easier to manage when everyone is tired, your mother or mother-in-law has strong views, and small assumptions can turn into daily friction.

Start With The Core Terms

Begin with the simplest facts. Write the full names of the family contact and the nanny, the service address, the expected start date, the expected end date, and whether the nanny is live-in or day-only.

Confinement dates often move because babies arrive early, late, or by scheduled delivery. The agreement should say how the dates are adjusted. For example, does the booking start from the baby's date of birth, the day mother and baby return home, or a fixed calendar date agreed in advance?

If there is a likely extension, write the extension rate and how much notice each side needs. Do not leave this until week three, when the family is attached to the routine and the nanny may already have her next booking.

For a Malaysian confinement nanny working in Singapore, the timing must also fit the Work Permit rules. MOM says the Work Permit can last up to 16 weeks from the birth of the child and is not renewable. That does not mean every family uses the full period. It means the agreement should not casually promise a period beyond what the permit allows.

Define Care Scope In Plain Words

The most useful agreement is not written like a legal contract. It is written like a shared operating note for the home.

Start with baby care. Write down whether the nanny is expected to handle bathing, diaper changes, bottle washing, milk preparation, night feeds, settling the baby, basic laundry for baby items, and simple tracking of feeds or diaper changes.

Then write down mother care. This may include cooking confinement meals, preparing drinks, helping the mother rest, reminding her to eat, and supporting recovery routines agreed by the family. Keep it practical. Do not write medical promises into the agreement.

Meals need their own line. State whether the nanny cooks only for the mother, for the mother and partner, or for the wider household. If there is a toddler, elderly parent, helper, or visiting relative, say whether their meals are included. Many conflicts begin with one extra bowl becoming a daily expectation.

Also write what is not included. Examples include deep cleaning, marketing at wet markets, caring for an older child alone, night duty for a toddler, pet care, ironing adult clothes, or serving guests. If the nanny is willing to do any of these, put the terms in writing instead of treating them as goodwill.

This is where direct hiring can work well. You are not buying a standard package. You are agreeing on the household rhythm that actually exists.

Write Payment And Expenses Clearly

Do not rely on a WhatsApp thread for money terms. Put the fee schedule in one place.

The agreement should state the total agreed service fee, the deposit amount, when the balance is due, how payment is made, and whether any part is refundable. If the baby arrives early or late, say whether the dates shift without extra cost or whether the nanny charges for reserved time.

For extra days, write the daily rate. For an early end, write how the fee is pro-rated. For a late cancellation before arrival, write whether the deposit is kept, partly returned, or moved to a later date if both sides agree.

Separate nanny fees from other expenses. Ingredients, transport, festive surcharges, levy, permit application fees, medical insurance, and stay-extension costs should not be blended into one vague number. The exact amounts may depend on the family and the arrangement, but the responsibility should be clear.

Avoid copying price figures from other families. Rates change by season, nanny experience, language needs, CNY period, and whether the arrangement is direct or agency-led. If a number is not agreed with this nanny for this booking, it should not sit in the agreement as if it is confirmed.

Record Work Permit Responsibilities

This part matters because a freelance arrangement does not remove the Work Permit requirement.

MOM states that the Work Permit for a confinement nanny is for Malaysians employed as confinement nannies in Singapore. The employer or an appointed employment agency can apply. MOM's application page says families can apply on their own or through an employment agency, from 4 weeks before the expected delivery date up to 16 weeks after the child's birth.

The agreement should record who is responsible for each step:

• getting the nanny's written consent to apply
• submitting the application
• paying the S$35 application fee
• paying the monthly foreign worker levy
• arranging required medical insurance
• confirming the start date before the nanny works
• making sure the nanny has the documents she needs before arrival
• extending her stay if her visit pass expires before the arrangement ends
• cancelling the Work Permit when she no longer works for the family

MOM says confinement nannies receive a Work Permit letter instead of a Work Permit card because the work duration is short. MOM also says the family must inform MOM of the nanny's start date before she can work.

The agreement does not need to reproduce every government instruction. It should make responsibility obvious. If the family is applying directly, say so. If an employment agency is appointed only for permit handling, say exactly what the agency is and is not doing.

Agree Rest, Privacy And House Rules Before She Arrives

House rules feel minor until the nanny is living in the home. Write them down before the first night.

Cover sleeping arrangements, bathroom access, meal arrangements for the nanny, laundry access, Wi-Fi, air-con or fan use, kitchen rules, and where personal belongings can be kept. If the nanny is live-in, she needs a workable place to sleep and predictable rest. If night care is heavy, the daytime rhythm should acknowledge that.

Privacy needs clear wording. State whether photos or videos of the baby, mother, home, food, or conversations can be taken or shared. Many families are comfortable with a meal photo and uncomfortable with a baby's face in a group chat. Do not leave that distinction to guesswork.

Also decide who gives instructions. A second-time mother may know what she wants, while a mother-in-law may have different food or baby-care preferences. The agreement cannot solve family politics, but it can name the main contact person and say how changes are agreed.

Language belongs here too. If the household needs Mandarin, Cantonese, Hokkien, English, or a mix because grandparents are involved, write it down. It is a fit issue, not a decoration.

Put Cancellation And Replacement Terms In Writing

No one books a nanny hoping to end early. Still, the exit terms are some of the most useful lines in the agreement.

Write what happens if the nanny is ill, if the baby arrives much earlier than expected, if the family cancels before the start date, if the nanny cannot arrive on time, or if the arrangement is no longer workable after she has started.

If either side can end the arrangement early, state the notice period and payment treatment. If fees are pro-rated, state the formula. If a deposit is not refundable after a certain date, write that date.

Replacement wording needs special care. A freelance nanny may be willing to recommend another nanny if she cannot continue. That is useful, but it is not the same as an agency replacement policy. State whether any replacement introduction is optional, whether the family can reject it, and whether the original nanny remains responsible for anything after the handover.

If the arrangement ends early, Work Permit cancellation also matters. MOM says the Work Permit must be cancelled if the nanny no longer works for the family. MOM's cancellation page says cancellation is needed within 1 week from the day the pass holder leaves Singapore, unless the pass has expired. It also says the nanny must have valid stay while she remains in Singapore.

For more detail on the practical side, read the guides on what to do when a confinement nanny is not working out and how confinement nanny replacement works in Singapore.

A Copy-Paste Checklist

Use this as a starting point. Adapt it to the actual person and actual home.

Parties and dates

• Family contact name, phone number and address
• Nanny name, nationality and passport details where needed for permit handling
• Expected start date and end date
• Whether the start date follows birth, hospital discharge or a fixed date
• Live-in or day-only arrangement
• Extension rate and notice period

Scope of care

• Baby bathing, diaper changes, feeding support and settling
• Bottle washing, baby laundry and basic baby-area tidying
• Mother meals, drinks and recovery support
• Whether food is cooked for partner, toddler, grandparents or visitors
• What is excluded unless separately agreed

Night care and rest

• Expected night duty pattern
• Daytime rest window
• Sleeping arrangement
• How the family handles nights when baby or mother needs unusual support

Money and expenses

• Total service fee
• Deposit and balance timing
• Payment method
• Extra-day rate
• Early-end pro-rate formula
• Cancellation terms before arrival
• Ingredients, transport and other reimbursable expenses
• Permit application fee, levy, medical insurance and stay-extension responsibility

Work Permit and immigration

• Who applies
• Who holds written consent
• Who pays government-related costs
• Who confirms the start date before work begins
• Who monitors visit-pass expiry
• Who cancels the permit when work ends

House rules and privacy

• Main family contact person
• Language or dialect needs
• Kitchen, bathroom and laundry use
• Visitor rules
• Photo, video and social-media consent
• Handling of household information and private conversations

Changes and exit

• How changes are agreed
• Notice period for early termination
• What happens if nanny or family cancels
• Whether replacement recommendations are optional
• Handover expectations
• Return of keys, documents and personal items

Keep a signed copy, or at least an agreed digital copy, where both sides can find it. If terms change during the month, record the change in writing.

How BulanBloom Thinks About This

BulanBloom is built around the idea that a good confinement arrangement depends on fit and documentation, not blind trust. A direct agreement gives both sides a clearer record before the month starts. It also makes it easier to use tools like the Singapore MOM checklist and to keep track of agreed changes during the confinement period.

BulanBloom is a platform, not an employment agency. Families and nannies contract directly with each other, and BulanBloom is not a party to that agreement. This article is general information for Singapore families, not legal advice.