CARE.com and SitterCity.com etc ... really that bad?

[Anonymous]

One caveat from using these childcare websites to find a nanny:

Just Remember -----> ANYONE with Internet access (which really is EVERYONE these days) can easily go online, put up a profile for free and claim they are anything or anyone they want you to think they are.

Because nannies do not need to pay to post profiles, it is basically an open book.

I know people who use these sites to find nanny jobs, but are not anywhere near what a true nanny is.

They just do it because they think childcare is easy money.

Kids are not cash cows.

[Anonymous]

I use Sittercity, care.com, enannysource, gonannies and nannies4hire. From my side (nanny), I prefer nannies4hire. The family profiles ask things like discipline, live-in/live-out, pets, car, conditions/allergies, etc. Most families don't post any of that unless the site asks, and I would rather see something that says TBD than have a family skirt around telling me that they expect me to muck the barn and curry 4 horses. The more you fill in a profile, the fewer people should respond because nannies don't want to waste their time anymore than families want to waste theirs.

[Anonymous]

PP here.

Oh, and nannies4hire is the best when it comes to background checks and driving records. A nanny or family can pay for the checks (I think every family gets one? not sure though), but the nanny can give access to that check to as many families as she likes. There are different levels of background check, including each county the nanny has lived, if you want to go that deep.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One caveat from using these childcare websites to find a nanny:

Just Remember -----> ANYONE with Internet access (which really is EVERYONE these days) can easily go online, put up a profile for free and claim they are anything or anyone they want you to think they are.

Because nannies do not need to pay to post profiles, it is basically an open book.

I know people who use these sites to find nanny jobs, but are not anywhere near what a true nanny is.

They just do it because they think childcare is easy money.

Kids are not cash cows.

This. So beware.

[Anonymous]

I am a nanny who has found lots of jobs from sittercity. My advice is to cast your net very far and consider and interview a lot of people. This may seem overwhelming, but then you can weed people out after phone interviews and meet a few in person. This way, you get the chance to see 3 sides of the nanny (online, on the phone, and in person) and can be sure that it's a good fit overall.

I would also be very clear and specific about how much you can pay and expect to pay the nanny and whether or not you are paying taxes. Supervised play is always a good way to know whether a nanny is a good fit or not. Suggest she play with the kids for a short amount of time while you are home but not in the room, or do a trial day like PP suggested.

Don't feel too reassured about background checks on care.com and sittercity as they are not as extensive or informative as one might think. Google the potential nanny, check:
https://eapps.courts.state.va.us/gdcourts/caseSearch.do?welcomePage=welcomePage for specifics about arrest records or tickets, and of course talk to their references. You can never be too careful but luckily there are many things you can do to make sure that they are someone that you feel comfortable having take care of your children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a nanny who has found lots of jobs from sittercity. My advice is to cast your net very far and consider and interview a lot of people. This may seem overwhelming, but then you can weed people out after phone interviews and meet a few in person. This way, you get the chance to see 3 sides of the nanny (online, on the phone, and in person) and can be sure that it's a good fit overall.

I would also be very clear and specific about how much you can pay and expect to pay the nanny and whether or not you are paying taxes. Supervised play is always a good way to know whether a nanny is a good fit or not. Suggest she play with the kids for a short amount of time while you are home but not in the room, or do a trial day like PP suggested.

Don't feel too reassured about background checks on care.com and sittercity as they are not as extensive or informative as one might think. Google the potential nanny, check:
https://eapps.courts.state.va.us/gdcourts/caseSearch.do?welcomePage=welcomePage for specifics about arrest records or tickets, and of course talk to their references. You can never be too careful but luckily there are many things you can do to make sure that they are someone that you feel comfortable having take care of your children.

MB here. I think this is excellent advice.

[Anonymous]

I've tried to unsubscribe from SitterCity emails several times, but they still keep coming. Finally I gave up, and just marked them as spam.

[Anonymous]

We found a fantastic nanny on care.com.

[Anonymous]

Nanny here! I am not a fan of Care, but I've found great families on Sittercity. It has allowed those families to leave me feedback, update my background check so when a family contact me they can trust that I have experience and sane. Sittercity has definitely help me land more jobs than this site.