Finding a nanny to care for your child in the home can be a stressful adventure. The screening process, if undertaken personally, can take months with interviews, background checks, and reference checks. Thanks to the internet and companies that complete the majority of the screening process before advertising available nannies, the time between deciding to hire a nanny and hiring the perfect nanny is cut considerably. When searching for a nanny, there are also a few local resources to consider.
Friends or Family
A nanny is typically a live-in care provider who takes care of children and the home while parents are away at work or other engagements. The care provider becomes a part of the family, so why not look for someone within your closest circle of friends and family? Ideally, you are looking for a recent high school graduate or college graduate who wants to take a little time off before heading to college or starting a career.
Day Care Providers
In-home daycare providers or retired daycare workers may be willing to work as a nanny on a part-time or live-out basis. The best sources for information on potential nanny candidates are friends and family. Feel free to post your need on social media pages like Facebook so your entire group of friends has the contact information they need to send the candidate in your direction.
Nanny Companies
There are tons of nanny companies out there which screen candidates before posting availability online. Some companies are brick and mortar businesses that take an application from the potential employer and schedule meetings and interviews with candidates that fit the description provided.
Tips for Finding the Best Nanny in Record Time
When searching for the ideal nanny, it is important to understand what you want in a nanny and how much your nanny is likely to charge for the services you desire. Remember, live in nannies are working full-time, round-the-clock and should be paid accordingly. Work schedule, pay rates, taxes, benefits, and other details need to be ironed out before actively searching for a nanny. For the best information available, try talking with a current live-in and live-out nanny and the employers of several nanny employers to get a good feeling about how nanny/employer contracts work.
Your nanny is the care provider your child will spend time with almost every day. Finding the perfect nanny who mirrors your personal, parenting and religious beliefs is crucial to keeping the peace in the home and feeling safe when you are away.