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[quote=nannydebsays]OP, the price of nanny care doesn't double when you have 2 kids instead of one. There have been eternal debates here over what an appropriate rate is when a second child arrives, and no one has produced a magic answer.

No idea about the obamacare issue, but here's what I'd suggest regarding your decision on nanny vs. daycare:

1) Determine your childcare budget and the hours that you will need care. This in itself may give you your answer. Nannies offer flexibility in hours that daycares often don't, but if you need a nanny more than 40 hours a week, you'll have to pay her overtime. In addition to the nanny's gross wages, you should plan to add 10% to the top to cover your share of taxes. If you hire a nanny tax service, that will increase this cost.

2) Accept that hiring a nanny to care for 2 kids means paying her to care for 2 kids, even if one child is in school PT. If you are paying $16/hour for 2 kids, and would have paid $14/hour for 1 kid, you'd be looking at deducting $2/hour for the time your older child is in school, and unless she attends from 8 am - 6 pm, most nannies will see that as petty. Say your older child attends school 10 hours a week. You'd be docking your nanny $20 a week for not having to care for 2 kids all the time. Can you see why this might cause an issue?

3) Determine your job description. Figure out what you would like nanny to do beyond childcare, and then determine what nanny will actually be ABLE to do beyond childcare. Be flexible. If nanny isn't willing to vacuum all kid areas 2 times a week, ask if she'd be willing to do that 1 time a week. Or ask if she'd go grocery shopping instead of doing any cleaning beyond basic tidying up.

3)A) Imagine your perfect nanny. Determine which of those traits you MUST have, PREFER to have, would LIKE to have, and what traits you can do without.

4) Write a good, descriptive and informative ad. Include a general idea of your pay range, as well as a brief job description and a few of the characteristics you want in your nanny. Have a few questions in the ad that MUST be answered for a candidate to move forward, and make it clear that all responses without those answers will be tossed.

5) Get ready to screen replies over the phone, and use that to narrow down your list of applicants to the ones you want to interview in person. Ask open ended questions, and listen carefully to responses.

6) Meet your short list of candidates in person, and have them bring resumes. Interview them, and once you have your top 3 chosen, ask those 3 for their references.

7) Call ALL references and ask as many questions as you need to ask. Screen carefully. Ask if the parent would re-hire the nanny. Check to make sure the references names match the addresses given. Use LinkedIn and Facebook to see if there are any oddities in the references.

8) Have a trial day with your top candidate. Pay her for her time, and consider this a final interview. See how well she clicks with you and your family.

9) If you want to offer her the job, start working on a work agreement that outlines her job description, her pay/benefits, and all the other little details.[/quote]

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