Tips for Finding a Nanny?

asboomer22 · February 2011

I'm about 6 weeks along and absolutely baffled as to figuring out the childcare situation. DH and I are attorneys - he works for himself so he has some flexibility but he's a criminal defense attorney so he does have court almost every day. I work for a small firm about 30 minutes from our house.

I like the idea of a nanny, both for some one on one with an infant and also because it will make mornings a little easier to get out the door and I'd require some light housekeeping also.

I've been referred to Sittercity and a couple of other sites, but quite frankly I'm not impressed. I know I can't really hire a nanny until much later on, but I'm having a hard time even seeing that there are qualified people out there. It seems that everyone is 19-21 years old or they're older but have their own small children. For the amount that I'm going to be paying a nanny I feel that my child should have their full attention. Plus I have dogs and I don't like the liability of other people's children in my home with my dogs when I'm not there.

Looking at my options, I'm almost leaning back towards a daycare center because at least they're well regulated/lots of parents in and out.

Should I be looking for an agency?

Thanks in advance and sorry this is super long.

seethesmiles · February 2011

We just hired a nanny off sittercity but I understand your reservations. Since you're only 6 weeks along, you have a long time to look. We started looking before Christmas for a March 1st start date. Sites like sittercity require patience and sifting through a lot of unqualified people but, like I said, you have the time at this point to be patient and wait for someone to come along.

We only have one agency in our area and it was ridiculously expensive. We plan on paying our nanny $15/hour plus we'll pay the required taxes so it ends up costing us about $17.50/hour. The agency was going to tack on an extra $125/week or we could "buy out" the nanny for 18% of her projected annual salary but then we would no longer have the services of the agency (like a back-up nanny if ours called out sick, etc). It wouldn't hurt to look into agencies in your area but be careful of their fees -- they really add up.

Another option is just to ask around. Ask friends and family if they know of anyone who is looking for work and might be interested in nannying. You might get lucky and find someone that way and then you have the added bonus of a personal reference.

If you choose to try sittercity, I'd definitely recommend doing a background check on the person you choose and make sure they have references that you can contact. There are very few things more difficult than choosing a person to care for your child. Good luck.

asboomer22 · February 2011

Thanks so much for the response. It's good to know that people do really use sittercity! My OB is one of the first people to recommend it and she said she found her nanny on there.

I really appreciate sharing your experience on the agencies. I looked through some and thought the fees were high - and worried that theyd probably send some of the same people off of sittercity!

I think at this point I'll get on some wait lists for daycare so that there are some back ups in place and then 2-3 months before we need a nanny really start searching.

I'll try to put some feelers out but unfortunately, I don't know a ton of people in this area and virtually none that use childcare. I can't even find people to recommend daycare centers!

Thanks

celiabwatson · February 2011

Also, be a little realistic when looking. Very few people in this world plan to make a career of being a nanny. So most likely you'll find either young people who haven't started their main career yet, or moms of young children who want to bring in extra money. The only scenario I can think of other than that (and the rare "career" nanny) is maybe a teacher or someone who is temporarily out of work due to the economy and is trying all options. I would personally prefer someone on the later end of the "young" spectrum who had experience rather than someone who was older and hadn't nannied before. Good luck in your search. You have plenty of time.

Also, we didn't know anyone with small children when we got pregnant either. We took a birthing class and met several families that way (obviously we couldn't get references from them initially since they were at the same stage we were). I still call on those families when we have childcare emergencies (we use an in home lady who we love but who takes a fair amount of time off).

monkski · February 2011

we found our nanny on care.com and we absolutely love her. She is younger (24), but married and doesn't plan to have kids anytime soon. She goes to school online right now, so I'm sure once she gets her degree, she'll be onto her next thing, but I know we've at least got her for hopefully two years. Then we may switch to daycare anyways.

The best thing I learned was to be specific regarding your requirements, in your ad. I was not at first and got a ton of 17-18 year olds that said they had 10 years experience. Yeah, not so much! One requirement that made a big difference in the quality of applicants that I got was requiring that they have a college education or be currently enrolled in college. this weeded out the younger ones,and a lot of them were working towards degrees in something child related.

Having a nanny is a lifesaver for us. I work 50 minutes away and to not have to get them ready and out the door saves my time and sanity. Plus, the housework she does is a HUGE help. I can focus all my time on the babies when I'm home instead of the house.

Ali212 · February 2011

I didn't use or look at sitter city when we were looking for our nanny for our now 3-year old (when she was 6 weeks was when we started looking). I used an agency to search, screen, pre-interview and do background checks for me. It was extra money but completely worth it IMO. They pull from a more expansive network and do a lot of the legwork to make it less daunting for you. Also, to clarify for one PP who said it's rare to find a career nanny, that simply is not true. It may depend on the area you live but in major cities, you will find MANY career nannies. That is certainly the case in my area (NYC) but I know if others as well so it's simply nit true to say it's rare to find career nannies. Ours is one and she's amazing! Good luck - finding a nanny is daunting but finding a great one us amazing (and helpful). We didn't consider daycare; I wanted one-on-one attention and for my daughter to be in our own home.

4realyo · February 2011

I understand your frustration. I found my nanny using care.com. WHen I first starting looking I couldnt find anyone that I felt was qualified. Be careful going into the summertime you'll see a ton of college age/high school girls looking for summer work and think they can be a nanny. That was my biggest problem. I actually pulled my ad after a month or so and gave up and then tried again a few weeks later. I found the most amazing nanny - she has a degree and 9 years experience and she has been amazing with my LO. Unfortunately I have to start my search again as my nanny is pg and due around the same time I am with my second LO. I also might consider an agency this time around if I dont find anything using care.com.

good luck.

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