Nanny Agencies and Services
Searching for a nanny on your own is the least expensive route, but not necessarily the best.
The value of nanny agencies should not be underestimated. Agencies handle a great deal of the responsibilities that go into successfully bringing families and nannies together.
Nanny agencies place qualified live-in and live-out nannies with families who need full-time childcare. It sounds relatively simple, but in fact it is not.
The work that goes into making that perfect match between a family and a nanny can be surprisingly complex and time consuming. For example, nanny agencies perform thorough nanny background checks, conduct psychological testing, and check personal references.
The agency will also set up interviews between families and nannies, working as the liaison and often expediting the process. Agencies also advise parents on the types of important questions they should ask during the interview process, along with the answers they should expect.
Because of the amount of work that they do, nanny placement agencies are not inexpensive. It is advisable to shop around, but don't base your decision on price alone. You don't want a "cheap" agency. What you want is high quality service at a fair price. You can expect to pay a few thousand dollars for the services of a quality nanny agency. However, if all goes well, you will find that the fee was more than worth it.
If you just don't have the budget for an agency, there are other viable alternatives. Internet nanny services will allow you to view their database of nannies, their photos and profiles for a fee. Usually this fee is less than one quarter of what a nanny agency fee would be. But of course you don't get anywhere near the service.
With an Internet nanny service, you and not the agency are responsible for personally contacting the nannies that you wish to speak with further about a childcare position in your home. You are also responsible for arranging and conducting all interviews, background checks, and follow-up phone calls. It is a good deal of work and will take a bit of your time. Even so, there are many people who prefer this method of finding a nanny for their children. They like the fact that it puts more control into their hands. They also like the fact that it will save them thousands of dollars
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