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/span>Finding a nanny has become a next-to-impossible task for working parents in Jakarta, as supply cannot meet demand, either qualitatively or quantitatively, leaving would-be power couples in the capital feeling guilty while leaving their children with relative strangers.

A mother of two girls, Fetty Handayani of Kalibata, South Jakarta, opted to hire a nanny recommended by her friends. “I have two housemaids who also take care of my daughters. The first one is the sister of my friend’s maid and the other one is the neighbor of an employee at my husband’s workplace.”

Many parents have been worried about their nannies following the death of a 5-month-old Rasya Alfino Azmi last month. The 21-year-old nanny, who worked for the family for three months, has been named suspect in the murder of her tiny charge.

The nanny, identified only as IA, was also working as a maid for the couple.

IA allegedly wrapped Rasya in a long piece of cloth to stop him from crying and continued her work. When she returned and found the baby had died, she arranged the house to make it appear as if there had been a robbery.

It was learned later that IA was four months’ pregnant. Police suspect that she might have been mentally unstable when committing the crime.

Nanang, the owner of the Nabila Care nanny agency in Tomang, West Jakarta, said that his agency had currently run out of nannies to place.

The case of baby Rasya, however, has not affected his business, Nanang said, as the agency has a system to ensure the quality of its nannies.

“Sponsors in several cities in Central Java and East Java have trained them, but once they arrive here, we train them again,” Nanang told The Jakarta Post.

The owner of the Bintaro-based Pelita Kasih nanny agency, Idri, said that her company always asked for the IDs, school certificates and family permit letters of applicants to guarantee a nanny’s identity.

“If something happens between the employers and the workers we have sent, the families can file complaints with us. All of our workers are under our supervision during their tenure and the families can also return the workers to us within three months.”

The cost to hire a maid or nanny from agency requires is relatively inexpensive. The salary range for a housemaid from an agency is usually between Rp 600,000 (US$63) and Rp 1 million per month and from Rp 1 million to 2.5 million for a nanny. The agency usually charges those hiring the women an additional Rp 600,000 fee.

Even with a system that seems comfortable, Fetty has her doubts. “Every time I asked for a replacement, the agencies that I used to hire nannies always told me they didn’t have workers,” she said.

Meanwhile, Evita, 59, who lives in Mampang Prapatan, South Jakarta, said that finding housekeepers from agencies was fine as long as the agencies were reliable.

“For me, communication is the key,” she explained. “I think it’s important for us to spare our time for two weeks or so to help them adapt with the new environment in our houses.” (fzm/koi/nai)