Looking for a Nanny...Where to even start??

[Anonymous]

HI! I'm looking to hire a nanny for our soon-to-be newborn (due late october). I'll likely need a nanny early-mid January 2014. My husband works shift hours and because he's off certain days of the week, we thought that it would be best to try to find a nanny instead of going the daycare route. That way, one of us can at least spend time during the day with our child.

Our approximate schedule for a nanny would look like this (on a 3 week repeating schedule):
Week 1: M/TH 8am - 5pm (18 hrs)
Week 2: M/TU/W/F 8am - 5pm (36 hrs)
Week 3: M/TU/TH 8am - 5pm (27 hrs)

As a newb, I have several questions:

1) Are there nannies out there that are willing to work hourly instead of weekly?
2) Where do I even start the search process? What tools/apps/websites do you recommend?
3) What exactly does it mean to hire a nanny "on the books"? What type of paperwork do I need to fill out to do this?
4) What type of benefits do you provide a nanny that would technically work part time (average of the above hours is 27 hrs/week)?
5) Anything else that you suggest I should look into?

[Anonymous]

One more thing..

6) What's the going hourly rate (give a range) for a nanny taking are of an infant?

[Anonymous]

Your main problem is going to be that most PT nannies have multiple jobs, but with your rotating schedule, it will be hard for the nanny to find steady employment for the hours you don't need her. This job will only appeal to someone who is happy with really only working PT, not piecing together PT work to compose a FT schedule, and not doing something outside of work, such as going to school, that requires a regular schedule.

[Anonymous]

OP here. What if I did a nanny share with another couple? I do have a friend who will have a 9 mo old by January.

[Anonymous]

OP you'll have better look posting for a nanny/housekeeper. There are a good number of nannies who work part time and then merge in every other week housecleaning services for other families on the days they don't work for someone else.

[Anonymous]

That's a tricky schedule to manage OP so you might think about that.

It's VERY early to be looking now, but not too early to start getting advice from people who've BTDT. Also, use your neighborhood listserv as a resource for nanny/housekeeper contacts, and also for possible nanny share options. See if there are other pregnant mothers in your neighborhood and get to know them.

Good luck. (and congratulations!)

[Anonymous]

1) Are there nannies out there that are willing to work hourly instead of weekly?

Not many, no. A job like this is best suited to someone who is retired and doesn't "need" to work or to a SAHM with her own infant who would be happy to bring in some extra income. If you're agreeable to either to a retired woman who's raised her own kids (but may or may not have had professional childcare experience) or a younger woman who would bring her own child along, you're much more likely to find someone who'll be happy with this flexibility. Beware of PT or FT nannies who say they are okay with it but are actually looking to build a FT schedule for themselves - they're liable to quit the moment they find something more reliable/consistent.

2) Where do I even start the search process? What tools/apps/websites do you recommend?

Neighborhood listserv, friends & neighbors, Sittercity.com, Care.com, Craigslist, agencies. Agencies charge a placement fee that is the percentage of the nanny's annual salary. Care.com has a minimal monthly fee. The rest are free.

3) What exactly does it mean to hire a nanny "on the books"? What type of paperwork do I need to fill out to do this?

It means you are fulfilling your obligations as an employer. It means you pay the employer's portion of her SS etc. tax and that her income is directly reported to the govt. It is nice to offer to withhold her portion of taxes as well so she doesn't have to try and save enough all year for them. It is very easy to do by yourself, or you can pay her through a payroll company (GTM, Breedlove) and they'll handle the details for you.

4) What type of benefits do you provide a nanny that would technically work part time (average of the above hours is 27 hrs/week)?

Accumulated PTO is important - she should have vacation days and sick days proportionate to her level of employment.

5) Anything else that you suggest I should look into?

It is notoriously difficult to find nannies to cover shift schedules. If you can pay her for a set number of hours per week (let's say 35) and use her for other things - errands, cooking, housekeeping - you could hire a Nanny/Something combo (housekeeper, house manager, cook) and would attract better candidates. You would also need to offer her more benefits than a true (<30 hr/wk) PT employee. Otherwise your best bet, if you don't want to go the older mom/SAHM route, is a nanny share.

6) What's the going hourly rate (give a range) for a nanny taking are of an infant?

$15-$20/hr depending on who you ask, who you want to hire, and where you live. A nanny in a share would expect $18-$20/hr (so $9-10/hr per family) for the two kids. A share nanny *might* be willing to negotiate different prices for different times, if agreed upon upfront (i.e. you wouldn't need to pay for hours you didn't use her but the other family wouldn't have to pay $20/hr for just their child) and with a clear schedule.

[Anonymous]

To the previous poster, thank you for answering my questions!