Hiring a nanny starting in Sept- what should we do now?

[Anonymous]

We will need a full time nanny in Kensington MD beginning in September. Previously we have used both in home and day care centers so we are new to having someone providing care in our home. We would prefer to have live- out, and we know this will be expensive. We have three kids (2yrs-6yrs). What should we be doing now to get our ducks in a row, and when should we start the hiring process? And where do we find nanny candidates? Are there local listservs or resources in the Kensington/Rockville/Silver Spring area? Any articles or websites that a newbie should read? Thanks in advance.

[Anonymous]

Start with writing a position description that outlines your expectations and requirements, and ideally includes information about hours and any benefits you plan to offer.

Run the numbers through "nanny pay" calculators so you know what costs to expect as the employer. This will help you to use your budget to find the right hourly rate to offer, and keep in mind that hours over 40 are overtime.

You should start with word of mouth through friends and local listservs, and start that now, as September is generally a time when a lot of nannies come on the market (due to longtime jobs ending as the youngest kid in the family starts kindergarten).

As August approaches, if you have not yet secured a nanny then move to Care.com.

[Anonymous]

Thanks so much for the thoughtful response - this is great advice. I am afraid I am not sure I fully understand the additional benefits you reference — we were anticipating something like four weeks of vacation/sick leave (with one week required at Christmas and another week required at the end of August). Are there other benefits we should consider, and is there any local resource I could review to give me a sense of What is typically offered locally?

[Anonymous]

Additional benefits can include a health insurance stipend, contributions to a retirement account, membership at a gym, and memberships at local kid-friendly attractions like the zoo so nanny can take the kids out and about within your family’s comfort level WRT social distancing. Benefits should include paid holidays. If the nanny will be using her vehicle to drive your children, mileage reimbursement at the current IRS rate is needed. 5 paid sick days are standard, and giving nanny the option to choose at least 1 week of vacation time is also standard.

Guaranteed hours (paying nanny her full weekly rate 52 weeks a year) is more of an expectation today, so that’s not really a benefit. You should make sure candidates know you plan to offer guaranteed hours.

I agree that establishing your childcare budget and a detailed job description is your starting point. Most nannies take care of laundry for the children and clean up after themselves through the day, with help from the children. Additional tasks like adult laundry, housekeeping chores, grocery shopping, and errand running mean the hourly rate increases.

If you set your budget and are not getting quality candidates, you’ll need to evaluate what you can offer to make your job more attractive. That’s where additional benefits come into play! With the uncertainty brought on by the pandemic, you may have to think outside the box a bit. Gym memberships, regular massages, mani/pedis, or regular haircuts aren’t much of a bonus if gyms and salons close down again. Ask the top candidates what extra benefits would attract them to the job.

[Anonymous]

You can find a lot of nannies on here and Facebook nanny groups.

[Anonymous]

Write out the contract you'll both sign, now. Google to get samples and pull the pieces you like to put one together.

[Anonymous]

Decide in the next few weeks what is truly important to you for your baby and be honest. Don’t walk into this with cross-interests.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks so much for the thoughtful response - this is great advice. I am afraid I am not sure I fully understand the additional benefits you reference — we were anticipating something like four weeks of vacation/sick leave (with one week required at Christmas and another week required at the end of August). Are there other benefits we should consider, and is there any local resource I could review to give me a sense of What is typically offered locally?

PP here and standard benefits include:

--in this area, many if not all federal holidays
--2+ weeks of vacation plus 5 sick/personal days (your 4 weeks combined sounds fair and appealing)
--some, but not all, families make a contribution toward the nanny's health insurance premium. this can include a set amount ($X per month) or some go as far as to help her shop for a premium and pay he whole thing (that is more rare)
--you should factor in mileage, but that is expense reimbursement, not a benefit
--not many nannies get contributions to retirement accounts, but depending on the caliber of nanny you are planning to hire and what your budget it, it's something to consider

[Anonymous]

Hey thank you everyone - this is incredibly helpful!!
If there are any Rockville or Kensington area listservs we should look at, that’s helpful too!