About Extra Arms

Mission Statement

We like our work a lot. We want it to be useful, self aware, intentional and connected to the context we operate in.

We want to help create childcare relationships that are fair to all those who partake in them. Fair to the children, who are whole and unique individuals who should be heard and respected as such. Fair to parents and guardians, constantly balancing their needs as people and as parents, the needs of their little ones, in a societal context that often does not set them up for success, pulling them every which way at once. Fair to carers who accept to share the load, opening their hearts, offering their knowledge as well as their arms, and deserve recognition for work that is exceptionally nuanced, complex and impactful.

We proactively welcome all. We want to work in a way that combats all kinds of discrimination and defends each individual’s right to self determination. We acknowledge that this requires constant effort, sincere reflection and the acceptance that there will always be room for improvement.

We believe that there is a difference between “supporting” parents so they can maximize their productivity, work harder, faster, better, and supporting parents to determine what is truly good for them.

We cannot afford to forget that what do as Nannies and agents of Nannies is not new, but rather exists in inevitable continuity with what has happened before, and alongside what regrettably continues to happen. We recognize that the history of this work has involved, and many of its current practices still involve, a significant measure of darkness: racism, inequality, exploitation, sexism. We hope to do our part in bringing about change.

We like our work a lot, we want it to be fair and complementary to our community.

The origin of Extra-Arms

In early 2013 Giulia and her cat landed in Berlin to join the person who would later become her wife, and her cat’s most preferred human. Before making the move she had visited Berlin the previous September, to check it out and see how it felt. It felt good. She been a Nanny for a few years in London, an Au Pair before that, and assumed she’d find an agency to represent her in the search for a new position. She found none she wanted to work with: so she went old school, put up some posters, found her next long term family.

In 2015 she figured she’d try to fill the gap she’d found: open an agency that would offer real support to Nannies and families looking for each other. She is very risk averse, so she started tiny, alongside her work as a Nanny.

In 2017 Extra Arms became her main occupation and in 2019 she found that she could no longer do it alone: a first set of extra hands came in to help. Then another: Sergio was mercifully excellent at exactly the things she was struggling with.

In 2021, as her due date approached, a group of Nannies jumped in, and together the team made it their business to ensure Extra Arms did not get lost in all the baby laundry and sleep depravation.

And their business it is: Extra Arms would no longer exist had it not been for them. As we all preserve for ourselves and each other the freedom not to do only one thing, but to follow our inclinations, savor our relationships and pursue our interests, the project belongs to us all and is made by us and of us. It does us good, and we hope it will do the same for those who walk through our doors.

Giulia Baldisserri Benko

Founder

Giulia Baldisserri Benko is Extra Arms’ founder. She started working as a babysitter when she was 14 years old and went on to work as a professional Nanny across Italy, Spain, London and Berlin. She had the pleasure of caring for a total of thirteen children and their families. She founded Extra Arms in 2015 and thoroughly enjoys her new role as a carer of families and Nannies. She hopes Extra Arms will grow to become a community individuals that support each other, share knowledge, resources and the fight for quality of care and fair working conditions.

Marta Domenghini Albano

Head of On-boarding

Marta Domenghini Albano is an early childhood educator and career Nanny. She has taught and cared for children in school and in-home across Italy, Germany, Greece and the UK. She joined the team in April 2021 and has taken charge of the Nanny on-boarding process: she is committed to getting to know and supporting our Nannies based on their individual needs, experiences and skill sets. Her understanding of our candidates informs our matchmaking processes, ensuring we build strong and positive working relationships.

Valeria Benko

Co-Founder

Valeria Benko is co-founder and indispensable complex-problem solver for Extra Arms. Behind the scenes, her keen eye for detail, research abilities and knowledge of German, English, Spanish, Italian and French mean that she is able to step in and help the team tackle all new challenges in informed, efficient ways. From GDPR compliance, through finding and implementing software solutions for our everyday needs, she makes it possible for us to keep this show on the road.

Sergio Oddo

Data Analyst

Sergio Oddo is a data analyst. He joined the team in June 2020 and has been keeping our books, designing advertising campaigns, ensuring our systems are organized efficiently and reviewing data to help us better understand Extra Arms and improve our services and processes. We hope he will never leave us.