5 Things you Need to Know About Nanny Care

1. It Takes Work to Find Good Nanny Care

If you're looking for a nanny, then expect to spend a considerable amount of time finding the one who is best suited for your family. Nanny care isn't regulated and licensed like family child care and child care centers. Anyone can label themselves a nanny, and it's up to the parents to find out if that person is truly qualified to take care of their kids. Give yourself at least 8 weeks to find a suitable nanny if you're doing all the legwork on your own. If you hire an agency, then you should give yourself at least 4 weeks. Agencies often do the background work for you so you won't need as much time to pick a nanny from a reputable agency.

2. In Search of Mary Poppins

You have 2 options when looking for a nanny. You can do the search yourself or you can hire an agency. If you do the search yourself, place an ad in the classified section of the newspaper, at community centers or even at a place of worship. Let it be known that you're looking for a nanny and you might get great referrals that way. To protect your family's privacy, you can get a potential nanny to contact you by a cell phone instead of the home phone. Request that they leave all the info you would like to know to help you determine if the nanny meets your minimum requirements. Call back only those candidates who meet these requirements and arrange for a phone interview. Meet only with the nannies who satisfactorily answer your questions. Agencies do all this legwork for you, so all you need to do is interview the candidates you think are the best fit. However, agencies can charge a hefty placement fee, ranging from $1,500 to $5,000.

3. Qualities to Look For

You'll want a nanny who has a genuine interest in child development, understands how children act and has enough emotional maturity to deal with the stresses children can cause. You want to also look at her experience and her references from past employers.

4. Keeping Great Nanny Care

Right now, great nannies are in demand and you need to treat your nanny well if you want to keep her. Don't expect her to work all hours and make sure you adhere to a set schedule. Pay her overtime if she works extra hours. Remember her responsibility is to care for your children, not clean your house.

5. Know the Costs

Costs vary by location, but a general guideline for the cost of full-time nanny care is about $400 to $800 a week for regular working hours. You may also need to pay for all or part your nanny's health insurance. Usually she'll select the plan and provide the costs. You then decide how much of the premium you'll pay.