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Helpful Articles A list of Nanny Care Placement Agencies
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Interviewing the Nanny or Au Pair Placement Agency Key questions to ask Au Pair placement agencies:
Consult the Better Business Bureau and the Department of Consumer Affairs for information on the license status of a placement agency or possible complaints filed. You may also file complaints with these agencies. Telephone Screening of Applicants Screening is an initial telephone interview to eliminate applicants who do not meet all your requirements. During the telephone conversation, briefly describe the situation in your home – number and ages of children, hours you work, where you live, etc. Then, ask questions such as the ones here, adding questions to meet your specific situation. Try not to ask yes/no questions so you get a fuller picture of the person.
If the answers meet your needs, ask for references -- two personal ones plus a recent employer. Tell the applicant that you may call her/him in for an interview. Interviewing the Nanny Remember, even if you use an agency, you should still interview the nanny personally and in-depth to make sure he/she is a fit for you. You screen the nanny to see if you want an interview. You interview her/him to understand his/her skills and qualifications, but also to determine if he/she is a good fit for your family. The goal is to find someone you trust to care for your child. Before interviewing the nanny, you should decide how you feel about key issues so that you can make them clear to the candidate. These issues might include:
Face-to-Face Interview After you have checked references, invite several candidates to your home to be interviewed face to face. Use this opportunity to see how comfortable you feel with her/him. Have your child present at the beginning or end of the interview to observe how well he/she interacts with him/her. (You definitely don’t want an older child in the room during the interview and a younger child can be too distracting.) The interview is the time to thoroughly discuss your expectations, your child's needs, and the applicant's experience and abilities. Show him/her around your home and ask if they would be comfortable. Begin by describing the situation and your expectations (i.e. no television, type of discipline, taking child to playgroups, etc.). Ask them if she/he has any questions. Then ask questions such as the following, adding your own to meet the needs of your situation:
Again, ask the nanny if she/he has any questions. You might want to invite your child into the room to see how she/he reacts to your child. Reference Checks Reference checks include personal references, employer
references, criminal history, motor vehicle, and medical history. Do not
hire a nanny without checking references. An applicant may look good on
paper, but if you do not feel good about hiring him/her, do not do so. Each candidate should give you a name of several
personal references. Find out from the nanny his/her relationship to that
individual. Listen carefully to how the reference responds to your questions.
Some questions to ask are listed below. Add others to meet your own needs.
Employer References You may not be able to talk to the candidate’s current employer, but you should talk to a recent employer. You should try to talk to an employer for whom the candidate provided child care. Some questions to ask are listed below. Add other questions to meet your own needs.
Criminal History, Motor Vehicle, Medical References If the personal and employer references are positive, you should check criminal history, motor vehicle, and medical records. You will need to ask the candidate for information including a thumb print, their driver’s license number (be sure to see the actual license), date of birth, and five-year living history. Criminal Record Check is available through the Washington State Patrol Identification and Criminal History Section, P.O. Box 42633, Olympia, WA, 98504-2633. Call (360) 705-5100 and request a Public Information (PI) form and/or a Child & Adult Abuse (CAA) form. PI checks convictions in Washington only. The CAA requires the right thumb print to be inked at local police or sheriff’s facilities. No personal checks accepted. Information also available at: http://www.wa.gov/wsp/crime/crimhist.htm The Child Care Registry utilizes a network of professional investigators that research and archive the backgrounds of child care providers nationwide. Call 1-800-CCR-0033 for additional information and current fees. Driver’s Record Check is available through the Department
of Licensing, Driver’s Services, P.O. Box 9035, Olympia, WA 98507. You receive
a five-year history by including the state you are an employer, the employee’s
name, date of birth, and drivers license number. The request must be signed
by the employee and the fee included in the request. Documented Reference Checks will research criminal records, motor vehicle records, and credentials for a fee. Call 1-800-742-3316. American International Security Corporation offers
a pre-employment package for those wishing to obtain background checks on
individuals who will be providing child care. Salary Salary levels are determined by experience, education, number of children cared for, types of duties performed, and what you can afford. To research current salaries, check placement services, advertisements in the newspapers, and friends who use nannies. According to the various placement services, the monthly salary of a full-time nanny typically ranges from $1,800 to $2,500 per month. Fees also vary depending on whether or not the nanny is live-in or live-out. In exchange for the services of an au pair, the family typically provides airfare, a program fee to the Au Pair agency, health and auto insurance, a tuition stipend, a weekly stipend of approximately $100 to $135 to the Au Pair, and a two-week paid vacation. Contract Having a contract is a good way to help maintain a strong relationship with your nanny. Even a contract with a friend who is also your nanny is a good idea. A contract might include:
Employer Record Keeping As an employer, you are required to collect and pay social security and withhold income tax. For more information, contact the IRS. You are also required to keep all employment records for four years after the date of the return or after the tax is paid, whichever is later Records should include: Your Employer Identification Number (EIN) -- you must apply for this from the IRS. Copies of returns you have filed. Dates and amounts of any payments you made. Employee’s name, address, and social security number. Dates of employment. Copies of employee’s W-4’s. Amount of social security tax collected each payment. A copy of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification Form, which certifies citizenship or work permission. Maintaining a Good Relationship Once you have hired a caregiver, there are steps you can take to ensure a smooth transition and establish a good working relationship. Talk to your children about the change that will be taking place. For all ages, especially infants and toddlers, you can facilitate the arrangement by having the provider come to your home while you are still there. This will enable the provider to get used to your home while you do some "training" and observe the nanny in action. Then you can leave for progressively longer periods of time. Discuss with the nanny how your child reacts to separation and how they are best comforted. Discuss emergency procedures and include how you, a friend or relative, and your doctor can be contacted. Transitions are rarely easy so be aware of what is happening and act in a positive manner. Give yourself time to maintain quality communication with your nanny about how the situation is developing. Build a cooperative, open relationship that will benefit you, your children, and the provider. Be aware of how your child(ren) and the provider are reacting to the new situation. Support Services There are companies who handle health insurance, payroll and tax forms for nannies. Listed are samples of some of these services. Eisenberg Associates offers individual health, life,
and disability insurance, and can also set up IRAs, mutual funds, or other
investments to help your nanny save. Call 1-800-777-5765. The International Nanny Association (INA) is a non-profit educational organization for nannies and those who educate, place, employ and support professional in-home child care providers. Summary-Hiring a Nanny Checklist
Consult your local Better Business Bureau and the Department of Consumer Affairs for information on the license status of a placement agency or possible complaints filed. You may also file complaints with these agencies.
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