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Why use this site & not an agency?
If you have a question that has not been answered here, simply send us an Email by clicking here.
Apart from the obvious large saving on agency fee's, you get a much wider choice of nannies. As a nanny agency for 11 years, we have had many calls from families saying they have registered with other agencies only to never receive anything from them, not even a registration form!
You are in control of the whole process, and checking a nannies background is simple to do. You are also in the unique position to have nannies contact you about your job offer which can also save you a huge amount of time interviewing nannies that are not really looking for what your offering.A Nanny is a professional with a sensitive understanding of your childs needs, as well as your own. The importance of balancing discipline with love and affection without taking over the parental role. As they are involved with your child's important formative years it is her aim to create a happy and caring environment so as to develop sound foundations for your child's social physical and intellectual development.
There are no national standards for nanny training and no national OR state regulation of nannies. Anyone may apply for a nanny job or call themselves a nanny. It is imperative that a family thoroughly interview, screen, and manage their child's nanny! All candidates are not equal, and all families' requirements for their nanny are not the same. Most US nannies will limit their responsibilities to the safety and well being of the children in their care, and will not assume full housekeeping duties. Again, families are strongly encouraged to do a background check of their final candidate before she starts work to help them discover any inconsistencies in the nanny resume.
Above all, she must have a genuine love and affection for children, as well as an abundance of enthusiasm, patience and tolerance.
The complete care of children.
Emphasis is put on nutrition and cookery as a fundamental aspect of every child's health.
Responsibility of the children's laundry, rooms, as well as their own.
Organization and supervision of the children's social activities.A nanny's salary can vary considerably; some factors which can effect the salary a family will need to pay include:
the number of hours care is needed each week
geographic region of country
whether position is live-in or live-out (in some areas a live-in nanny's salary is less; in other parts of the country there is little or no difference)
the nanny's experience
the number of children and the job responsibilities.
benefits, such as health insurance.
To avoid misunderstandings, be clear that the salary offered is gross or net (take home amount) and state what deductions, if any, will be made from the offered salary. If offering a net wage, be very specific as to whether you are paying US social security/medicare taxes ONLY for the employee (s/he is responsible for US Federal and state income taxes) or whether the net includes your being responsible for all nanny income taxes also. You may wish to consult a US Employment tax advisor for guidance in these areas. Additionally, in the United States nannies are subject to Federal (and generally state) minimum wage rules.
The following are some general weekly wage guidelines assuming a 45-50 hour work week and one or two children. All figures are in US dollars:
18 - 20 years old, or less than 2 years verifiable child care experience - $250-$350 live-in; $7-10 hour live-out.
21 years or older, 2 or more years verifiable child care experience, no prior nanny experience (note that college education puts you to the higher end of the salary range) - $300-$450 live-in; $8-15 hour live-out.
Two or more years of nanny experience, and/or a college degree in a child related field - $350-600 live-in; $9-15 hour live-out, higher in major metro markets.
These figures are just guidelines, local job market and specific employment conditions cause considerable variation. Be aware that these are "gross wage" figures, before payroll taxes have been deducted.
Canadian Employment: The employer of a live-in caregiver is required by Canadian federal law to register as an employer with Revenue Canada Taxation and is required to make the proper deductions for income tax, employment insurance and remit these amounts to the proper federal authority.
On this site you will find people looking for nanny jobs that vary from no experience to many years of experience. In making your decision on what is the minimum level of experience that you are looking for; something to take into consideration are: salary you are paying, is there a stay at home parent, age of children, number of children and number of hours that the nanny will be alone with your children.
Of course, if there is a stay at home parent and the nanny job can be more of a "Mothers Help" job. Many parents need an extra pair of hands to help out with the children. A young and inexperienced person may do very well in this type of job. If the job involves preschool age children and there will not be a parent at home, it is important to have an experienced nanny there. It is critical, if there is a newborn of infant, that only an experienced nanny be employed. If you have school-aged children experience may be less important because they will be able to inform you of what the nanny does.
After you have found a nanny that you think best suits your family, if she is not local, it is customary for you to help towards her travel expenses to come and see you. We suggest that if possible you meet the nanny in person before employing her. Have her come and spend a weekend, or have her work a "trial week" before formally employing her. Some families deduct the traveling expenses from there salary later.
Working hours and free time.
Employment in a private household is such that it is difficult to define hours of work and free time. However, an average working day is 10 hours a day with 1.5 to 2 days free per week and at least one free weekend per month (usually Friday night to Sunday night, totalling 48 hours).
Normally 2 evenings babysitting per week for residential positions can be expected.First of all do a telephone interview to see if you have a rapport with the Nanny. We suggest that if a Nanny or Nannies seem like they might be a good fit for your family you should interview her more than once, preferably by both parents, before offering her the position.
Our members pages offer help & guidance on interviewing techniques.The first stages of screening a Nanny is the telephone interview. Your instincts are your best tool in choosing the right Nanny. Next, we suggest you contact her references to see what those families have to say. There are no national standards for nanny training and no national OR state regulation of nannies. Anyone may apply for a nanny job or call themselves a nanny. It is imperative that a family thoroughly interview, screen, and manage their child's nanny! All candidates are not equal, and all families' requirements for their nanny are not the same. In our members pages we go into more detail on checking a Nannies background and which companies can help you.
You can cancel your account easily within the members area.
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