Five Things You Should Put In A Childcare Contract With A Nanny
If you’re preparing to hire a nanny, putting together a childcare contract will ensure both parties are clear about everything from job duties to wages. If you’re not sure what you should put in your childcare contract with your nanny, check this basic list to make sure you have all the important items covered:
- Spell out the hours you expect your nanny to work.
- Include the benefits, if any. These items can include paid vacation days, health insurance, and sick days.
- Include job duties down to specific items. Make sure you and your nanny have discussed household duties such as whether or not she’ll be doing laundry, cooking, and cleaning in the home. If she will be taking care of the household, include those duties in the childcare contract.
- Include the specific wages and when you expect to pay them. For instance, if your nanny can expect payment on the 1st and 15th of each month, note it in the childcare contract.
- Include verbiage about every special situation you can think of. For instance, if you expect your nanny to drive your child to and from preschool, note whether you’ll be covering gas expenses and for how much.
Great Advice For When You’re Finding A Nanny
Finding a nanny for your child is a burdensome but necessary task if you need outside help to look after your little one. If you’ve decided that finding a nanny is the way to go, here are some words of advice to make the process go more smoothly:
- Resign yourself to the idea of a nanny. Finding a nanny doesn’t just take effort on your part to conduct the search. It also involves being mentally prepared to accept someone into your home as a caregiver for your child.
- Outline your expectations and the role of the job clearly. In order to avoid misunderstandings and confusion down the line, it’s essential you are upfront with an applicant from the start about what her role as a nanny will entail.
- Ask specific questions during the interview. In order to find the best possible caregiver for your child, be prepared to ask questions about how a potential nanny might handle specific situations – this includes addressing how she would handle things like crying spells, emergencies, and tantrums.
- Check references. When you’re finding a nanny, checking references is an all-important task. Having a good gut feeling about a potential hire is good. Seeing good chemistry between the nanny and your child is good. However, investigating a nanny’s previous relationship with her employers is essential to getting the full picture.
- Make sure you run background checks such as criminal histories, driving records, credit reports, etc.
How To Find A Nanny You Can Count On
There are numerous ways you can find a nanny to care for your children. Online sites, such as Nannies4hire.com, nanny agencies, and word-of-mouth are all possible starting points to find a nanny. However, if you’re looking to find a nanny you can explicitly trust who will provide loving care for your child, you have to dig a little deeper than just the surface. Here is how to find a nanny you can count on:
Make a list of your requirements. Before you start the interview process, it’s a good idea to figure out what you’re looking for in a nanny. Think about the hours you require, the amount of experience you’re looking for, the type of childcare philosophy, and whether any household duties will be involved.
Ask the right questions. These could include things like the number of years she has had as a childcare provider, what type of training has she had, what ages has she dealt with, and what her ideas are on childrearing.
Include your child. Whether your child is an infant or of school age, it’s a good idea to have your child present during the interview. That way, you can get an idea of how a potential nanny will be interacting with your child.
Nanny Finder Service When You Need Childcare
When you need childcare, a nanny finder service may be what you need to find quality childcare. Here are some ideas for a nanny finder service when you need childcare.
Nanny agency – A nanny agency is one way to find a prescreened nanny. A nanny agency typically checks for things like previous employment history, references, and criteria that match your needs. You’ll save time, but pay a lot more. A nanny agency can charge several hundred to a few thousand dollars in fees.
Advertisements - Advertisements are another way to find a nanny. You may pay as little as $25 for an advertisement on an online job board. However, there are no guarantees the candidates you get will be an ideal match, so if you’re in a hurry and worried about whether the pool of applicants will meet your standards, advertisements may not be your best bet.
Online nanny referral service – An online nanny referral service can be the least expensive way to find a nanny. Many online sites offer a free search with the potential to upgrade for a fee. Simply browse the database, contact the candidates of your choosing, and start the interviewing process.
What To Include In Your Nanny Job Description
Part of the process of hiring a nanny can include coming up with a job description so that potential candidates can assess whether a nanny position with your family is an ideal match. In order to come up with the best possible pool of candidates, being clear on what you’re looking for in your nanny job description is essential. Here are some of the things you should think about.
Before you write a nanny job description, first sit down and write a list of essentials that your nanny must have. Then create a secondary list of “pluses”, which include things you would like your nanny to be able to do, but aren’t essential.
The nanny job description should clearly identify key important areas that you’d like your nanny to have. These include what types of hours you’d like your nanny to fulfill, whether she’ll be live-in or live-out, the age of your child or children, the amount of experience she has, and whether you require any special certifications like CPR training.
Next on the order is listing items that would be perks for your nanny to have. For instance, it would be a bonus to have a nanny who is bilingual if you want your child to learn a second language at home.
Finally, narrow down the list of applicants to a nanny who meshes with your family’s lifestyle, it’s also a good idea to briefly indicate your childrearing preference. For instance, if your family is very laid back and easygoing, it’s fine to include that in your nanny job description.
What To Look For When You’re Screening A Nanny
So you’ve done a search for a nanny for your home and you’re getting ready to conduct interviews. What should you look for when you’re screening a nanny? When you’re screening a nanny, three things are helpful in the hiring process: being prepared, asking investigative questions, and paying attention to the details.
Being prepared – The process of screening a nanny can be a flurry of events. You’ve done a search through online referral services, such as Nannies4hire.com, nanny agencies, or through friends and family. You’ve scheduled times to speak with several different candidates. But before you get to the interview stage of the hiring process, be prepared with a list of what your expectations are and what you’re looking for in a nanny.
Ask investigative questions – Standard questions such as a nanny’s availability, the amount of experience she’s had, and even why she’s interested in being a nanny can give you an overall picture. But don’t forget to dig deeper and address any concerns when you’re screening a nanny. Ask questions such as how a nanny would deal with emergency situations, how she views her role as a nanny, and what some of the most difficult situations are that she’s faced working as a childcare provider.
Paying attention to the details – When you’re going through the interview process, listen to not only what the applicant is saying, but how she is saying it. Is she giving you canned answers that you want to hear? Is she enthusiastic about working with children? How well does she interact with your child? Paying attention to the little things could well mean the difference between hiring a nanny who is adequate and one who will be an excellent caregiver for your child.
Run your background checks - Make sure you run background checks such as criminal histories, driving records, credit reports, etc.
