 |
      |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
 |
 |
 |
||||
|
|
||||||
|
Helpful Articles A list of Nanny Care Placement Agencies
|
In Home (Nanny) Care
In-home care is when an individual (nanny) cares for your child in your home. The nanny might be live-in (live in your home) or live-out (live in her own home and come to your home as needed). Nannies are employees of the family for whom they work. Care in one’s own home is a child care option many parents consider in their search for quality child care. Nannies are not required to be licensed by Washington state. An in-home caregiver or “nanny” can serve the child care needs of one family or possibly more families by rotating the services of a nanny. Nanny care gives parents more control over their child’s care environment than any other child care alternative. What are some advantages of hiring a Nanny? The child/adult ratio is low, giving your child(ren) individual care. Parents have the ability to control activities, education, environment, and overall quality of children’s experience. Nanny care can be flexible and convenient, and accommodate parents’ atypical work schedules, transportation needs, and emergencies. Children may have less exposure to illness. Children are cared for in the security and surroundings of their own home. What are some disadvantages of hiring a Nanny? In-home care is not regulated in Washington State. In-home care is the most expensive form of child care. Payment for a full-time in-home caregiver is subject to federal and state minimum wage laws. Qualified nannies are in demand. Parents may find it difficult to find qualified in-home professionals. The hiring process is time consuming. Gathering and evaluating the facts about an applicants’ history or character takes time. Unlike other forms of child care, it may be difficult to observe the caregiver in a child care setting before hiring her/him. Additional time and effort are required of parents in the role of employer. As with all child care options, it is still necessary to have backup care arrangements due to the nanny's health, vacation schedule etc. In-home care can be isolating for both children and caregiver. They may miss interactions with other playmates and adults. Employing a caregiver in your own home may impact your privacy. If you do opt for in-home care, there are means to address some of these disadvantages. What qualifications should I look for in a Nanny? In order to select a qualified and appropriate nanny for your situation, consider the following criteria. Remember that your answer may be different for an infant than for older children. For example, for an infant, you may prefer someone who is nurturing and patient enough to walk with a crying baby for hours. With an older child, you may prefer someone who can participate in outdoor activities, or who can start working with the child on his/her letters and numbers. With school-age children, you may require someone who can drive. Age: Would you be most comfortable with an older, more mature caregiver? Or would you prefer a more energetic young person, perhaps a student? Education: Is it important to you to have a caregiver who is formally trained in child development or in early childhood education? Is a college degree an important qualification? More education may mean higher cost. Skills: Would driving a car be required in the position? Would the caregiver need to cook? Do light housekeeping? Be bilingual? Experience: Is previous experience in child care an important issue for you? What do you consider appropriate experience? Is raising a family adequate, or would you desire experience in a more formal setting such as a classroom or child care center? Personal Traits: What personal qualities do you want your nanny to have? Is s/he quiet and calm, outgoing and peppy, creative, neat? Is a sense of humor important to you? Do you have pets with whom the caregiver will be in contact? How do you feel about smoking? Do you require someone with a similar cultural or religious background? Other important factors: What can you afford to pay a nanny? Will the nanny need to own a car? How long a time commitment do you expect your nanny to make? You can find a nanny on your own or by using an agency If you decide to select a nanny on your own, you will do all the advertising, telephone screening, interviewing, checking of references, contracts, and taxes. However, searching on your own, rather than going through an agency, will eliminate the initial fee. Expect your search to take from one to three months. Advertising Advertising in the newspaper is the most common method used to find a nanny. Newspapers will advise where to place your advertisement and what wording is most effective. Some suggestions on what to include in an advertisement are:
Below is a sample advertisement: "Mature, loving individual wanted to care for kids age 2 & 4, in our home, M-F, 8-6, Bellevue. Car. Exp. Refs req. Call 555-0000, eves. only." Other Places to Network or Advertise
Nannies of friends or relatives.
Using a Placement Agency There are numerous professional placement services in King County that place nannies with families. Au Pair agencies are also available. Placement services shorten the selection process for parents by doing the actual search, screening applicants, background checks, and reference checks. These services generally expect placement to take from one week to three months to find a nanny, with the usual time being one to four weeks. Also, check with nanny placement agencies to see what they have to offer. Some agencies maintain lists of families wanting a nanny share situation. You will be charged an initial fee of from $500 to first month’s salary. Placement is usually guaranteed up to three months. If a nanny does not work out within that period some placement services will find a replacement free of charge. All placement services operate similarly. However, there will be variations in their practices and procedures. Because the number of in-home placement services has grown rapidly in the past few years, be sure to talk to several services before deciding which one to use, and screen them carefully. Compare the minimum qualifications each service requires of their candidates. They will differ.
|
|||||
|
|
||||||
< 
