I most definitely favor care.com over sitter.city.

I like care.com much better than Sitter City. Sitter City has a tight limit on how much space you can use to describe your job and needs. Care allows space for more detail. My nanny favors care.com for the same reason.

Anonymous wrote:I see a lot on here about Care.com.

What about Sittercity.com?

Is that website any good at all?

Thx.

~MB

Most nannies I know are on both, so it really comes down to which is more cost effective for you.

Anonymous wrote:I see a lot on here about Care.com.

What about Sittercity.com?

Is that website any good at all?

Thx.

~MB

I found them pretty comparable. Honestly, if you post a decent job, you will have more applicants than you can handle from either site. I don't think there's a need to sign up for both.

Anonymous wrote:I see a lot on here about Care.com.

What about Sittercity.com?

Is that website any good at all?

Thx.

~MB

Be careful with Sittercity. They charge your credit card every 3 months !

I have just noticed that and asked for refund.

I see a lot on here about Care.com.

What about Sittercity.com?

Is that website any good at all?

Thx.

~MB

Same here - we used care.com. We only checked one of her references after we met her and saw her interact with our little boy. She started as part-time so we had a lot of opportunities to assess her skills. Far, far and away the best nanny we have ever had.

Care.com. I checked every reference the nanny gave us as well as her Care.co reviews (all excellent). We also asked to see her photo ID and then ran a background check on her.

Far and above the best nanny we ever had.

Anonymous wrote:Is that REALLY how your name is spelled? Legally?

It's funny you are asking as "anonymous" Anyway. No. It's Kate legally.

Anonymous wrote:Neighborhood list serves and word of mouth definitely - and the best candidates we saw were nannies whose previous families posted for them and offered to talk to prospective families first. We had very little luck with the candidates we found on care.com.

I would add you should interview the nanny first and then check references going back a couple of years. Cross check the facts the nanny tells you about each family - we had a few whose references gave different ages/genders of children or whose facts otherwise didn't match up which was a HUGE red flag.

Neighborhood list serves and word of mouth definitely - and the best candidates we saw were nannies whose previous families posted for them and offered to talk to prospective families first. We had very little luck with the candidates we found on care.com.

Hey, 17:39, I know it's hard for you, but try to stay on topic and not mock posters, especially when you have nothing to offer.

Katiee, the best place to find a nanny is through word of mouth or neighborhood listservs. If you know people who work in daycare, you can sometimes find people wanting to transition to nannying from daycare. You can also try university job boards. The most important thing is a personal recommendation from someone you know when you can get it.

If you have to go with candidates who are complete strangers, I would ask for at least three references (and make sure they are legitimate employers), a thorough background check, and certifications (CPR and first aid, not online, Red Cross or AHA only). Have a trial period and a very explicit contract.

I would not look for a nanny on DCUM.

We found our best nanny by posting an ad on Care.com. We received a lot of responses for it and weeded through them based on the information they provided. We came up with our definite "needs" list: availability, infant experience, and their own transportation. And then our want list. After initial interviews we called all reference provided and then did a 2nd whole day trial with our top 3 candidates before offering 1 girl the job.

Is that REALLY how your name is spelled? Legally?

Where did you find your best nanny? Any advice on hiring process? How many references should I check to be sure that this is the right person?

Thanks !