Nanny Placement — Coming Soon. Tell us about your family now and we will be in touch as soon as bookings open.See how it works →
Puffin.
Back to Blog
September 25, 2026Puffin Services

Booking a Caregiver Who Speaks Your Family's Language in Richmond, BC

Where the booking form asks about language for childcare, postpartum and senior care, how to ask for a language that isn't listed, and what a language request can and can't promise.

In Richmond, British Columbia, a household often runs in more than one language. A grandmother who is most at home in Cantonese, a toddler whose first words are Punjabi, a parent who switches to Tagalog at bedtime: these are ordinary Richmond homes, and a caregiver who can follow along makes a real difference in them.

A language preference is something you can put on a Puffin booking. This guide covers exactly where the form asks about it, how to ask for a language that is not on the list, and what a language request can and cannot promise.

Where the form asks, service by service

The question is worded differently for each service, because it is asking slightly different things.

  • Babysitting and hourly childcare ask for the primary language(s) at home: English, Punjabi, Hindi, Tagalog, French, Mandarin, Spanish, Arabic or Other. That describes your household, which is useful to whoever comes. It is not quite the same as asking for a caregiver who speaks it, so if that is what you want, say so in the notes box as well. For example: "Mandarin-speaking caregiver preferred" or "essential".
  • After-school pickup does not have the language question, so use the notes box for it.
  • Postpartum support asks for a cultural or language preference for the worker: Punjabi-, Hindi- or Tagalog-speaking preferred, South Asian cultural practices important, a shared religious background important, no preference, or Other.
  • Senior care (Health Care Assistant, companion and respite care) asks for the preferred language of the person receiving care: English, Punjabi, Hindi, Tagalog, French, Mandarin, Italian or Other.

    • Cantonese, and any language that isn't listed

    Cantonese is not one of the listed options on any of the forms, which is worth saying plainly in a city where it is widely spoken. Choose Other and type it. The typed answer is saved with the booking exactly as you wrote it. The same works for Korean, Vietnamese, Farsi or any language that is not listed.

    What happens to the answer

    It goes into the booking details the office works from when a caregiver is chosen for your booking. It is a request, not a guarantee: whether a caregiver who speaks a particular language is free on a particular date is not something the form can promise.

    So decide which it is for you.

  • Preferred: put it on the form and in the notes, and book as usual.
  • Essential: for example, a grandparent at home who speaks no English, or a parent who no longer follows English easily. Call the office on (604) 283-2829 before you book and ask whether it can be met for your date. Your card is held when you book online, so a phone call first is the way to get an answer before anything is held.

    • Why it matters most in senior care

    For an older parent, language is often more than a preference. Many people living with dementia find their first language easier than one they learned later, and a parent who managed well in English for decades may now be most comfortable in Punjabi, Mandarin or Cantonese. If that is your parent, name the language on the senior care form and say in the notes how much English they still use day to day.

    For young children: write the words down

    Even if the caregiver doesn't share the language, a few words go a long way with a two- or three-year-old: toilet, hungry, hurt, sleep, and whatever your child calls their comfort toy. Put them in the notes, spelled the way you say them. It costs nothing and turns a guess into an answer at the moment it matters.

    What a language request does not change

    Not the price: a language request is booked at the same rates as any other booking in Steveston, Brighouse, City Centre and Hamilton. And not the checks: every caregiver is employed and insured by Puffin and has passed a provincial CRRP vulnerable-sector check and reference verification, whatever language they speak.

    Book childcare →Senior care →Postpartum support →Richmond →

    Common questions

    Can I book a Cantonese-speaking babysitter in Richmond?
    You can ask for one. Cantonese is not a listed option on the booking form, so choose Other and type Cantonese, and say in the notes whether it is preferred or essential. The request goes into the booking details the office works from; it is not a guarantee, so if it is essential, call (604) 283-2829 before booking to ask about your date.
    Does asking for a caregiver who speaks our language cost more?
    No. A language request is booked at the same rates as any other booking, with no surcharge anywhere in Richmond.
    Is a language match guaranteed?
    No. It is a request that goes with your booking, not a promise that a caregiver who speaks that language will be free on your date. If it is essential rather than preferred, call the office before you book.
    Where do I say which language my parent speaks for senior care?
    The senior care form asks for the preferred language of the person receiving care: English, Punjabi, Hindi, Tagalog, French, Mandarin, Italian, or Other for anything else. Add a note on how much English they still use day to day.

    Book premium care across the Lower Mainland

    CRRP cleared. Fully insured. Available in Surrey, Vancouver, Abbotsford, and 13 more cities.

    Explore Services & Book →