Nanny Help: getting what you pay for

[Anonymous]

As an experienced nanny, I have seen how difficult the process of hiring and keeping a nanny can be for families. Finding the balance between quality of childcare and how much one can afford for said care can be daunting. Agencies in the area can be somewhat helpful but more often than not, once a nanny is placed with a family the agency is no longer in the picture and it is up to families and nannies to navigate their relationship without outside input (excluding forums like this).

My education and experience combined have led me to start my own business to help families and nannies through the process of nurturing this relationship while enhancing the nanny experience to be one that includes a heavy dose of enrichment. By guiding families through the hiring process and setting up realistic expectations on both sides of the nanny/family spectrum, high turnover can be eliminated and replaced with long-standing and productive agreements. I also work with families who already have a nanny to suss out any negative issues there may be. Finally, I teach current nannies how to provide a higher level of service through engaging activities, assignments, outings and more.

Essentially, this allows families paying around $12-15/hour the opportunity to teach their nannies how to provide a $30+/hour service.

I am looking for 2 families to work with in this initial launch period, my services will be provided free of charge within prenegotiated parameters in exchange for testimonials, etc.

Ideally I'd like to find one family who is currently looking for a nanny in order to help them though that process and a second family that already has a nanny and feels that they aren't 100% satisfied with what is being provided.

I really appreciate your time in reading this and please, reach out to me at [e-mail] if you'd like to be involved or if you have any questions at all!

[Anonymous]

let me get this straight - you are helping $12 nannies learn to become $30 nannies so the families can continue to pay them $12? what happens to those of us that already are qualified to make more than $12? we just get pushed out of the market?

thanks.

[Anonymous]

To Anonymous at 9:26: I'm sorry for not being clear, I am absolutely an advocate for nannies. If you are over qualified and making $12/hour I think you should be looking for another job. I have been in that situation myself. After I completed my undergraduate degree I was working on my masters in education while nannying and making $14/hour. I reached out to an agency and they placed me with a family willing to pay more for all that I could offer. If a family cannot afford a college educated nanny who provides a high level of service and can only spend $12/hour, I come in to teach their nannies how to provide a better service. I am not providing a college education or claiming anything of the like, but I can teach those who are qualified to make $12/hour how to provide more for their families.

I hope this clears up any confusion or animosity. I'd be more than willing to talk to you about your situation and share insights if you'd like to reach out. I think we often fall into the families who underpay/nannies who are overqualified rift when it is unnecessary. Nannies who are qualified to make over $15/hour in this area have that opportunity with the right resources, and with time, Avant Nanny will be able to provide those resources with our developing relationships.

[Anonymous]

So let's say I have a good but not great nanny. I hire you to come in and teach her how to be a better nanny? Don't you think that creates some animosity?! It just doesn't seem like a good way to treat an employee.

I don't think your overall concept is flawed, mostly just the execution. Maybe offer workshops instead?

I don't know. If I had a good but not great nanny I would rather not use your service because it just seems like a slap in the face to the nanny. If I had an OK nanny, I would probably just find a new one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To Anonymous at 9:26: I'm sorry for not being clear, I am absolutely an advocate for nannies. If you are over qualified and making $12/hour I think you should be looking for another job. I have been in that situation myself. After I completed my undergraduate degree I was working on my masters in education while nannying and making $14/hour. I reached out to an agency and they placed me with a family willing to pay more for all that I could offer. If a family cannot afford a college educated nanny who provides a high level of service and can only spend $12/hour, I come in to teach their nannies how to provide a better service. I am not providing a college education or claiming anything of the like, but I can teach those who are qualified to make $12/hour how to provide more for their families.

I hope this clears up any confusion or animosity. I'd be more than willing to talk to you about your situation and share insights if you'd like to reach out. I think we often fall into the families who underpay/nannies who are overqualified rift when it is unnecessary. Nannies who are qualified to make over $15/hour in this area have that opportunity with the right resources, and with time, Avant Nanny will be able to provide those resources with our developing relationships.

you are still missing the point PP was trying to make. Let's say you help a $12 an hour nanny get to the level of a $20 hour nanny. So Now that nanny knows she's worth more (and I've seen many fantastic non college educated nannies so I think you're giving that to much worth). So nanny says, screw this I know I'm now worth $20 so I'm going to find a family who can pay me more.
So then a new nanny family has two candidates. 1. Ms college educated nanny who charges $25 an hour with tons of great references. 2. Ms trained by you nanny who charges $20 an hour and seems like just as good as a candidate as 1 minus the college education. Most families will go with her.

Meanwhile, original nanny family has now found a new $12 an hour nanny

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To Anonymous at 9:26: I'm sorry for not being clear, I am absolutely an advocate for nannies. If you are over qualified and making $12/hour I think you should be looking for another job. I have been in that situation myself. After I completed my undergraduate degree I was working on my masters in education while nannying and making $14/hour. I reached out to an agency and they placed me with a family willing to pay more for all that I could offer. If a family cannot afford a college educated nanny who provides a high level of service and can only spend $12/hour, I come in to teach their nannies how to provide a better service. I am not providing a college education or claiming anything of the like, but I can teach those who are qualified to make $12/hour how to provide more for their families.

I hope this clears up any confusion or animosity. I'd be more than willing to talk to you about your situation and share insights if you'd like to reach out. I think we often fall into the families who underpay/nannies who are overqualified rift when it is unnecessary. Nannies who are qualified to make over $15/hour in this area have that opportunity with the right resources, and with time, Avant Nanny will be able to provide those resources with our developing relationships.

you are still missing the point PP was trying to make. Let's say you help a $12 an hour nanny get to the level of a $20 hour nanny. So Now that nanny knows she's worth more (and I've seen many fantastic non college educated nannies so I think you're giving that to much worth). So nanny says, screw this I know I'm now worth $20 so I'm going to find a family who can pay me more.
So then a new nanny family has two candidates. 1. Ms college educated nanny who charges $25 an hour with tons of great references. 2. Ms trained by you nanny who charges $20 an hour and seems like just as good as a candidate as 1 minus the college education. Most families will go with her.

Meanwhile, original nanny family has now found a new $12 an hour nanny

exactly!! you are not an advocate of nannies at all, you are helping families keep our rates down. why would they choose me, a $20/hr nanny, when you can allegedly train a nanny to be just as good as me for $12?

[Anonymous]

I hope this business gets no traction because you are hurting the nannies that have worked hard to be qualified at $20/hr

[Anonymous]

To all: thank you so much for all of this input! It is quite hard to get an entire concept out in a brief discussion topic on a forum with people dissecting it, but it's good to see how this concept is percieved. I'll try to put it another way without creating the animosity.

I have worked in a corporate job and in that setting, advancing your career and always learning is a plus. For some reason, in this industry we equate getting better with becoming too expensive. I'd like to change that. I'd like to change the level of service nannies provide for the betterment of the children. IMO we need to break down the walls between good employers and nannies and create productive relationships.

I'm realizing that the title of this post was all wrong. If your nannies aren't coming up with lesson plans for activities in the summer, goal lists, and supplemental material for books/movies/activities/etc - I believe they should. The families I have met can't pin point a price on their child's happiness and advancement. Once they see the level of service I provide and will pass on, they always ask "where can I find one of you?", and that is where Avant Nanny comes in. This business is for families who want a nanny that gives something that is not the norm. This is about providing a new standard of service, so it is not a slap in the face to a nanny to bring Avant in, it is instead a chance to advance their career in order to better provide for the family they work for.

I don't think this business is for everyone. For the families I have met, those that care to provide not just safety but enrichment along with their childcare - this service is unparalleled.

[Anonymous]

You are basically having families pay for training that their nannies can use to find a better paying job.

[Anonymous]

How do you make nannies better ? Op what exactly do you teach these nannies ? Can you give us some examples ?

[Anonymous]

I'm an MB and I don't really understand this concept either.

I have hired two permanent nannies and a few interim nannies (for long term vacations/medical recovery).

I have never hired a nanny I felt was substandard in any way - nor would I.

I also haven't hired a nanny from whom I expect lesson plans (though my kids aren't in school yet.)

I have had great luck meeting lots of qualified applicants in a pay range of $15-19/hour. I've chosen the people who were the best fit for our family. I haven't found (nor do I expect) perfection. With each nanny there are unique strengths and, occasionally, small challenges.

We work those things through together. If I needed an agency to come in and work with me I'd be failing in my job in hiring and managing a nanny.

Perhaps when I was hiring the first time I could have used your guidance and found it quite helpful, but honestly - other mothers gave me tremendously useful advice and leads, and that's how I hired.

So I'm just not sure your business model, as it's stated here, is clear and/or likely to succeed.

I'm also not sure it's appropriate to come here and sell your services in quite this way, but that isn't my call.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To Anonymous at 9:26: I'm sorry for not being clear, I am absolutely an advocate for nannies. If you are over qualified and making $12/hour I think you should be looking for another job. I have been in that situation myself. After I completed my undergraduate degree I was working on my masters in education while nannying and making $14/hour. I reached out to an agency and they placed me with a family willing to pay more for all that I could offer. If a family cannot afford a college educated nanny who provides a high level of service and can only spend $12/hour, I come in to teach their nannies how to provide a better service. I am not providing a college education or claiming anything of the like, but I can teach those who are qualified to make $12/hour how to provide more for their families.

I hope this clears up any confusion or animosity. I'd be more than willing to talk to you about your situation and share insights if you'd like to reach out. I think we often fall into the families who underpay/nannies who are overqualified rift when it is unnecessary. Nannies who are qualified to make over $15/hour in this area have that opportunity with the right resources, and with time, Avant Nanny will be able to provide those resources with our developing relationships.

If it sounds to good to be true, it it generally is. Why would a nanny making only $12.00/he do the work of a nanny making $30/hr? Sorry, it sounds like a scam.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are basically having families pay for training that their nannies can use to find a better paying job.

Yeah after the training the nannies will leave or raise their rates.

[Anonymous]

"we equate getting better with getting too expensive."

um, yes. I have been working as a nanny for 8 years and excellent references, experience with multiples and children with special needs, and planning activities with the children (no, I'm not going to call them lesson plans). when I first started, my rate was $14. my rate has gone up as a result of my experience and my families are willing to pay more because I have that experience. they would prefer that over somebody with no nannying experience. how does that not make sense?

I don't think this is a difficult concept. it seems pretty simple. you're training nannies to do $30/hr work for $12/hr work. seems like only the families would benefit from this. I'm sorry, but if they can't afford a $30/hr nanny, they shouldn't be looking for one. nanny shares, daycares, and other forms of child care are for them.

I call bullshit on this post and honestly think it's offensive that you think it would be good business and money in your pocket to lower the rates of people like myself that have put time and effort into our jobs. there's always somebody out there looking to cut corners and make a cheap buck, eh OP?

[Anonymous]

To the poster who asked what I teach nannies to do/provide: Avant Nanny helps nannies tailor a curriculum for each individual child based on their needs/interests/goals/level. That is the main concept, providing a new service much like what children receive in the classroom on an appropriate level that promotes enrichment outside of school. Think worksheets (math, reading comprehension, writing, etc), projects (ex: go to National Zoo, research and complete a diorama on their favorite animal), and day to day activities (if they watch a movie they will then complete a synopsis or answer questions, again baed appropriately on age and level).

Again, I apologize for not making this clear before. This is not a scam or a ploy - I wanted to put this out there to two random families because I wanted an unbiased proof of concept on this. The people I have met see the value in me and this venture and while their opinions are important to me, I wanted to start from scratch in order to fully realize what this business is capable of.

To those that do not see the value in this, I completely respect your opinion and I would hope you would share that mutual respect in your responses.

I think my experience as a nanny as been very different from many, I think of nannying as my career and I treat it as such. I am open with my employers and I appreciate everything they have done for me. I respect them and I know they respect me and maybe that is the only model in which this business works. Otherwise this becomes about mistrust and bettering someone to one party's advancement and subsequently hurting another. This is about mutual growth in the best interest of the children. I aspire to be on a career path that promotes growth, inspiration and stellar service. I think we need a coach to start breeding this atmosphere. I don't mean to offend anyone with my suggestions and I think all nannies are capable of providing this level of enrichment if only they have the right mentor and tools.