How do I Find a Good Nanny in Chicago?
Finding The Best Chicago Nanny
According To Our Expert Nanny Agency
About 19.8% of metropolitan Chicago’s population is composed of children which translates to roughly 584,808 children who are in need of childcare. Childcare services such as nanny services have increased its demand for the past years, especially for two-income families in Chicago. The city is one of the best places to be a nanny because of the endless possibilities the city has to offer.
Many families in Chicago want to find an amazing nanny and choosing a care provider is one of the most important decisions parents make for their children. The common dilemma of parents is finding a good nanny that suits their schedule, needs, and parenting style. So, how do you find a good nanny in Chicago? Let us discuss your options:
Referrals from Co-workers, friends, and family
For first time parents, it is recommended that you begin your search during the second trimester of the pregnancy and get serious about the search by the start of the third trimester. You can start by asking everyone you know-even folks without kids- if they know a nanny that is looking for work. While you are at it, you may also ask them how they find their nanny and what they wish they had done differently during their search for their nanny.
If asking for referrals will be the only mechanism you will use for your nanny search, your pool of candidates will be limited. It will also be a long and complicated process since you have to contact the applicant, schedule an interview, conduct a background check, and set up a trial period before you finally make them a job offer. Use referrals to jump-start your nanny search but make sure you have other options.
Caregiver Listing Sites
There are websites that provide listings of pre-screened nannies and will also let you know a few information about the nanny such as their experience, availability, salary requirements, background checks, and references. Here are some of the popular listing sites:
Sittercity serves as an online marketplace for families or individuals looking to hire local in-home care. Babysitter, pet sitters, senior care providers, and nannies are some of the care providers that can be found on this site. It will connect you with a nanny near your location. For $35 a month, $49 for three months or $98 for a year, you can post for a job and get access to caregivers’ profiles that include a description of experience, availability, background check, references, and referrals.
Care.com is another site that helps families find child care, with a new post every 30 seconds. Users can search, post jobs, and look at caregivers' profiles for free. To contact caregivers and get a background check, users have to pay a monthly, quarterly, or yearly subscription fee.
NannyLane allows parents to post jobs and view caregivers’ profiles, save their pick, and conduct an advanced search. It offers three different membership packages: Basic membership costs $120 for 30 days. For $150, members will be able to access a multi-state criminal history search, and for $220, members will get four months of comprehensive background checks.
Facebook Groups
There are a number of Facebook groups where Chicago parents can join and browse for posts from nannies looking for a job or you can post in the group that you are in need of a nanny. When looking for a nanny in a Facebook group, make sure that you are as detailed as possible about what you are looking for and provide as many specifics about the job requirements as possible (certification and skills needed, how many hours of the day is the nanny required to be there, salary, etc). Do your due diligence though when you decide to hire from this platform; run a background check and verify employment before you invite the applicant for a trial period.
Nanny Placement Agencies
Nanny agencies, such as Karen’s Nanny Agency, offer the highest level of service when it comes to finding a good nanny in Chicago. Karen’s Nanny Agency is an expert in this field, and know exactly how and where to find the greatest, most experienced nannies within Chicago. It may come with a higher price tag compared to finding a nanny using listing sites but it comes with many advantages:
For families that are pressed for time and first-time nanny employers, nanny agencies can cut 40-plus hours of effort out of the hiring process. At Karen’s Nanny Agency, nannies are prescreened and couples are interviewed to get a detailed snapshot of what they are looking for and only the applicants that meet the couple’s criteria are sent to them.
Nanny agencies help their clients prepare the employment offer and work agreement once a nanny is selected, making the process easier for the couple.
If it is your first time hiring a nanny, you may not know what you really look for in a nanny. Nanny agencies will help you with this since they understand that each family is unique and working with a placement counselor will help you find out what is uniquely important for your family.
Nannies are not required to have formal training and there are no national government standards for the childcare placement industry. With a nanny placement agency though, they only accept applicants who are at least certified in infant/child CPR and first aid. Most of the nannies pooled by nanny agencies though have more than that; some of them have training in child development, safety, and communication.
The biggest assurance that using an agency can offer you is that all nannies have undergone a thorough background check and employment verification before they are able to register in their pool of candidates, ensuring that your children and your family as a whole will be in good hands. You can rest easy knowing that you are leaving your child to someone who is trustworthy. After all, your child’s security should be your top priority.