Photo: The Canadian Press

Hadrien Trudeau, 3, helps his dad, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, tie his shoe as Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, and children, Xavier, 10, and Ella-Grace, 9, looks on during a visit to Rajghat Gard in New Delhi, India on Friday, Feb. 23, 2018.

The nanny caring for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's kids has been given a full-time salary and a slight pay increase compared with the reported hourly rate she was paid shortly after Trudeau took office in 2015.

An order in council issued earlier this week indicates Marian Pueyo's annual pay has been set in a range that starts just below $40,000 and caps off at slightly more than $45,000.

It's also retroactive to the beginning of April this year.

At its top range, the order works out to a rate of $21.79 per hour, assuming a 40-hour work week.

An order to hire Pueyo in November 2015 described her as a "special assistant," and pegged her pay rate in a range from $15 to $20 per hour for working days and $11 to $13 per hour for night shifts.

Prime Minister's Office spokeswoman Chantal Gagnon confirmed that Pueyo is now a full-time employee, and defended the pay boost.

"This first raise since 2015 is in line with the cost of living increase," Gagnon said in an email.

Trudeau faced criticism that year from the opposition parties for having two nannies on the taxpayer's dime to care for his three young children.

Less than a year later, the prime minister ended the employment of one of the women with no explanation given for her termination.

The government's decision to hire a nanny for the prime minister underscores the challenge that many other Canadian families are facing when it comes to proper childcare.

"The NDP believes that all children should be well-cared for, and that includes the Prime Minister's family," Ashton said in a statement.

"This shows the need for a national childcare strategy to ensure that all children receive safe and adequate care, regardless of their parents' level of income."

The latest order in council was among several that set salaries for longtime workers at the prime minister's residence, including his chef, Che Chartrand, whose annual pay ranges from $68,468 to $79,234, effective July 3.