Struggling with finding full time care for our 10 month old

[Anonymous]

Either the individual wants to bring their child (in 3 cases 2 children) or they are students so not able to do full time Mon-Fri.

Also since the rate is hourly, the rate I quote would be pre-tax right since I want to pay employer taxes. I have had several ask if I am willing to pay cash. Quick question here - how does the hourly rate work? If it is 9 to 6 - when does the nanny take a 1 hr lunch break?

Additionally I would like the potential nanny to be able to drive my baby to activities and speak English - the latter is apparently difficult to find (if she is not a student).

I have posted on craigslist, care.com, sittercity. But no luck.

Any pointers to a FTM welcome.

[Anonymous]

Hi I know of a great Nanny. Please let me know I will send you her name.

[Anonymous]

Your rate is probably too low and your not offering enough benefits . Nannies don't get breaks and must be paid for entire shift with guaranteed hours. Starting arrange for full time nanny is $14-18 for one child. Education, certifications, experience and professionalism will cost you on the higher end. Paid two weeks vacation, paid holidays and sick days are standard bare minimum benefits.

[Anonymous]

I agree you are probably not offering enough. We are currently looking for a full-time nanny for our 3 children and have had tons of great candidates. You shouldn't have any trouble finding someone for 1 baby unless your offer is too low.

[Anonymous]

You'll struggle less if you raise your hourly rate by $2-3.

[Anonymous]

OP. My rate is $15 pretax. Is that low for one child?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP. My rate is $15 pretax. Is that low for one child?

MB here. $15 gross is the standard hourly starting rate for one child in DC and the close-in suburbs. That should get you a good number of candidates, including many non-students. Some, but not all, of the career nannies with more than five years of experience will want more than $15, but you should be able to get someone with an education, good presentation, a 0-5 years full time experience, and a car for that. The nanny's share of employment taxes (income tax, medicare, social security) will be deducted by you from the $15 per hour rate. On top of the $15 rate, you will pay the employer's share of medicare, social security, and unemployment tax, along with workman's comp insurance and reimbursement of her driving expenses (often based on a fed gov rate). You do not need to provide health insurance, but some employer's provide a monthly stipend that the nanny can use to buy insurance.

If you can afford more than $15, you'll attract even more potential candidates.

Most experienced nannies in DC expect "guaranteed hours," meaning you pay for the same number of weekly hours whether you use them or not.

[Anonymous]

The nanny doesn't take a lunch break. If your kid wakes up crying 5 minutes in, that lunch break is gone.

You need to do a lot more research before you even think about employing a nanny, OP. There are lots of great candidates looking for positions so if you are having trouble finding and/or keeping one you are the problem.

[Anonymous]

If you're struggling to find decent candidates, and obviously you are, something about your package and your expectations are off. Are you asking for any housekeeping duties? If yes, and it is not child related, your rate is too low for this expectation.

Does your ad say anything about a "1 hour break"? That does not exist for nannies and the idea of going unpaid for your lunch, while still being unable to leave, and still being responsible for the child, is not attractive.

Is your tone condescending or demanding? A lot of parents write ads that are little more than a list of demands, forgetting to be polite, forgetting to speak to us like you would anyone else (don't call me nanny, use my name), and giving us no reason to be interested in your job.

Does your ad gush about how cute and easy and perfect your baby is? All kids are cute, all kids have challenges, and a parent who thinks their kid is perfect could spell trouble in the future.

I will also say that your expectations for a nanny, ie. legal to work, be paid legally, drive, speak fluent English, are slightly above average in this area. As you are experiencing, most candidates don't speak English, don't drive, and want to be paid cash. If everything else seems right, but you still aren't attracting candidates, then sorry but its your pay rate not being equal to your expectations.

[Anonymous]

$15 isn't shockingly low, but from your post it is clear that you are very new to this don't know much about employing a nanny, so career nannies may be put off by a job on the lower end with no benefits and a parent who thinks nannies get a lunch break (I wish!)--but no worries. I would just adjust your expectations.

A standard live-out, full-time contract will typically include:
Guaranteed hours--you have a schedule that she gets paid for even if you don't need her (e.g., you have a day off and want to stay home with DC), provided that nanny is free to work.
Paid vacation--usually 1 or 2 weeks, half of which she chooses and half of which you choose (e.g., you schedule her vacation to align with a time when you will be on vacation anyway, thus saving you from paying for time you don't need her and also for her vacation time)
Paid sick days--3-5
Inclement weather policy--does she get paid to work if schools/ government are closed and she doesn't want to drive?
Health care--as a PP said, most people don't pay for health care but some do contribute, but that is pretty optional
Household duties--will she be running errands and deep-cleaning the house, doing nothing but care forthe child or something in between? Standard nanny duties include housework relevant to the child (washing kids' laundry/bedding, cooking and cleaning dishes used for kids' food, sweeping/vacuuming areas of the house used by the child, keeping kids' clothes and toys organized, etc.)

Try reworking your add with some of this in mind and see if you get more bites.

[Anonymous]

Agree with the advice from everyone else.

Also wanted to point out the "lunch hour" thing. While yes, by law in other hourly paid positions a 1 hr lunch break is required. But this doesn't really apply to the nanny world since unless someone is coming to watch the kids during that hour, your nanny isn't on a true break.

I understand why you asked the question though, since you are looking to pay legally and have probably deal with the 1 hr lunch break law before.

[Anonymous]

It's not shockingly low. I fit your criteria but I wouldn't consider it for under $18-20 plus benefits. $15 is pretty much the starting point, and you don't seem like that's the kind of nanny you'd prefer having.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's not shockingly low. I fit your criteria but I wouldn't consider it for under $18-20 plus benefits. $15 is pretty much the starting point, and you don't seem like that's the kind of nanny you'd prefer having.

NP, you actually sound like quite a pill and not the kind of nanny anyone would prefer having.

OP, many of these comments as you may have already realized have been posted by nannies so its a different perspective.

$15 is perfectly acceptable for someone with 2-5 yrs experience. It is not easy finding good, involved care in this care. Finding some care is relatively easy. The quality is poor. $18 an hour for 40 hrs would be $3600 a year and if you work full time then you will probably need 50+ hrs. Not many highly educated people make $4000 net a month to be able to pay that for a single child. You may want to re-think whether that is smoemthing you would do for possibly sub-standard care or stay at home. Good luck.