The nanny behind the agency
Emma Smidt built Little Smiles Nannying to raise the standard of in-home care, starting in Canberra, and to give career caregivers the recognition the profession has earned. Here is her story, and what she stands for.
A career caregiver who knows the work from the inside
Emma has worked in care and education since 2020, across private nannying and early learning. Those years gave her an insider understanding of what exceptional care really looks like, the kind that goes far beyond a tidy resume. It is what lets her recognise a genuinely gifted candidate and match them with the right family.
Along the way she saw how often skilled career caregivers go underpaid and overlooked, arranged casually through social media with little recognition for the profession they are building. That shaped a real passion for advocating for the profession and for fair recognition of the people who do this work every day.
Little Smiles Nannying is the result. Emma is growing it as a Canberra-based agency with a genuine focus on the rural and regional families around Canberra, the ones the big agencies tend to pass by. As an Australian Nanny Association Nanny Member, she holds her own work to the standards she wants the whole profession to share.
The background behind every match
Real qualifications, current clearances, and years on the floor. The same standard Emma holds the career caregivers she introduces to families.
A formal early childhood qualification that grounds every match in real knowledge of how children grow, learn, and feel safe.
Current first aid for an education and care setting, including CPR and the situations that come up around young children.
Full clearances kept current, so families and career caregivers alike start from a place of trust and safety.
Membership of the national body for the profession, holding Emma to its standards and connecting her to the wider community of career caregivers.
In care and education since 2020 across private nannying and early learning, an insider view that sits behind every introduction.
Growing the profession, not just filling roles
At the heart of Little Smiles Nannying is a simple belief. Every child and family deserves exceptional care, and the people who provide it deserve a real career, fair pay, and genuine recognition. Emma is committed to raising the standard of in-home care, starting right here in Canberra.
That means lifting up career caregivers as much as it means matching families. When pay and rights come up, Emma keeps things clear and points to the guidance that helps, like the Rights & Fair Pay guide written for every career caregiver to read.
- Growing the career caregiver profession
- Fair pay and recognition for the people who care
- Better in-home care in every postcode
- Families served well beyond the big cities
Selective, so every match gets real care
Emma works with a limited number of families she can genuinely help. That is a choice, not a limit on ambition. It means each family gets her full attention, and each introduction is made with care rather than rushed to fill a quota.
If that sounds like the kind of care you are looking for, the next step is a conversation. Tell Emma about your family or your own caregiving journey, and she will let you know how she can help.
Australian Nanny Association Nanny Member
Emma is an Australian Nanny Association Nanny Member with a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care, current Childcare First Aid, and full Working With Children clearances. Six years of hands-on experience sit behind every match she makes.
Ready to work with Emma?
Whether you are a family searching for the right caregiver or building a career in childcare, Emma would love to hear from you. Every great match starts with a conversation.