How do I Choose a Good Nanny?
Did you know that getting an opening in a childcare center or a family daycare is as scarce as acceptance into an Ivy League school? In fact, the demand for childcare, particularly for infants and toddlers, can’t be met in most urban cities like Chicago. It’s a common predicament for most parents who both have a full-time job to arrange a patchwork of care involving their family and friends to ensure their children get a level of care and supervision they need. Hiring a nanny is another route to take especially if parents would like to work and travel with an absolute peace of mind. It is also much easier for families with school-aged children to depend on their nannies for pick-ups and drop-offs. There are many benefits of hiring a nanny and employing an experienced and qualified nanny would solve the majority of your problems involving childcare. The question now is, how do you choose a good nanny? Here are some important must-knows before you start the hiring process:
Know Your Nanny’s Roles and Responsibilities
Overseeing the well-being of your children while you are away is the nanny’s primary role. Preparing meals for your children, organizing age-appropriate activities, cleaning up the house after them, taking them out to a little field trip, and making sure they have good hygiene are just some of the things a nanny is responsible for. As an employer, you should set what your nanny’s roles and responsibilities are, since it will really vary from the last family she rendered services from. One of the most common mistakes parents make in hiring a nanny is that they assume that their nannies already know what to do. Since each family is unique, parents should create a “Rules of the House” policy statement on safety and communication so both the nanny and the parents know what the expectations are. For starters, parents should establish a policy on the use of social media and privacy. You should consider if you are okay with them posting photos of your children on their social media accounts, or if you would prefer them to avoid that. You can also establish a standard of care such as never leaving your children unattended, go with anyone, anywhere, in any car or house unless you know ahead of time and give explicit permission. Furthermore, your nannies should also be always available to you by cell phone to make sure the line of communication is constant. Parents who invest time and energy into delivering clear lines of communication to their nannies will not only achieve better productivity from their nannies but will also maintain a strong working relationship with them.
2. Assess Your Family’s Needs
Before embarking on your nanny-hiring journey, consider what your exact needs and expectations are. You also have to determine the hours and days you will need care, including potentially working additional hours on weekends and evenings. You also have to know your budget. Nannies are paid by the hour and must be paid for all hours worked, including overtime. You may check the current hourly rates for nannies in your area to ensure your childcare budget can pay a livable wage.
You also have to create a list of your expectations and childcare experience you require. If you have a newborn, perhaps you need someone who has experience in newborn care. If your children are at school, what house chores would you like her to do? Set realistic expectations about the responsibilities you would like your nanny to have and prioritize these. Be clear about your “must-haves” versus the things that are nice to have, but not really essential. Write up a job description utilizing your list of responsibilities and requirements for employment including the schedule you want for childcare. It is also important to establish clear conditions of employment-perhaps you would want your nanny to have current CPR and First Aid certification, a TB clearance test, TiDaP and MMR vaccinations, a valid driving license, clean driving record, and a criminal background check clearance.
Note: For first-time parents and expecting parents who require a newborn nanny, it is best if you start the process at least a couple of months before your baby is due since it can take about four to six weeks to hire a nanny.
3. Know What You Can Afford
If you are looking to hire a nanny, look closely at your budget and how much you are willing to spend on childcare. Consider the nanny’s wage as well as employment taxes and possible worker’s compensation you need to pay for your nanny. You may consider hiring a part time nanny or consider arranging a nanny share with another family you know. This is a great alternative if you are looking for a more affordable option to have a nanny. Nanny sharing involves hiring a nanny who is willing to care for the children in two families. It is a win-win situation for both parents and the nanny since the nanny gets paid more while the families split the cost of childcare.
Generally, a nanny is considered a household employee so you have the control over the number of hours she works so you will know ahead of time how much you will be paying her. Hiring a nanny requires planning and budgeting since you are going to be an employer and that comes with obligations. As an employer, you will be responsible for understanding taxable wages, employment tax withholding, and which tax returns to file. The best way to go about your search for finding a nanny is getting help from reputable nanny agencies such as Karen’s Nanny Agency because we can help you negotiate employment terms with your nanny including the salary and benefits. They will also be able to advise you on the options available depending on the budget you set and the hours you require a nanny’s help.
4. Decide on a Living Arrangement
Nannies can either live in your family home, or they can also live off-site and just travel to your home to provide nanny services. There are pros and cons of each arrangement and you should carefully consider your family’s needs before deciding on which living arrangement you would like to have. Live-in nannies are provided with a private bedroom and receive room and board on top of their salary. Having a live-in nanny is beneficial for couples who both work full-time where one or both travel frequently outside the state or out of the country. Families who have a newborn child will also benefit from having a live-in nanny because she can both be a daytime nanny and a night nanny. If you have a child with special needs, a live-in nanny will ensure that your child’s needs are met all the time. Nannies that live in the family home generally connect with the entire family faster. Parents can enjoy more flexibility when there is an unforeseeable event such as nasty weather, last-minute scheduling issue, and more. Live out nannies have a more traditional employer-employee relationship and compatibility with the parents is not emphasized as much as when you have a live-in nanny. Since the nanny will not live in the family home, it provides the family more privacy and eases the pressure on having to provide separate living quarters for the nanny. A live-out nanny works best for moms who work part-time, are working from home and just need an extra pair of hands to help with childcare.
5. Know Where to Look
Now that you know what to look for in a nanny and how much budget you can afford, the next step is to know where to look for a nanny. Some parents would find a nanny on their own by posting job ads online, from parenting groups on Facebook, or with the help of a nanny agency. Hiring someone who will be responsible for taking care of your children and will be integrated with your family is not an easy task. It is a life-changing and a very important decision to make. Seeking assistance from a nanny agency such as Karen’s Nanny Agency is an excellent route to take because we vet and meet with all prospective nannies, conduct an interview where the applicants will complete security checks. We will also check their references, qualifications, experience, and find out about their previous work history to save you time of having to do all that. To ensure the safety and well being of your children, we only recommend candidates who successfully passed our rigid screening process and requirements. We make sure that your nanny is a good fit for your family and both parties will have a positive experience in the entire hiring process where the nanny and your family have agreed on fair terms of employment.
Choosing a good nanny entails planning and research. Having Karen’s Nanny Agency to assist you in this task will make your journey better and empower you as parents to make an informed decision. Talk to us on how to find a great nanny committed to making a positive difference in the lives of the children in her care.