This is a bit more work and might not be for you but one thing we did was to find a family for a split for our nanny. We wanted to keep her on PT and she needed hours so we posted on listserves and DCUM to fill in the time. Of course it still has to be a good fit for the nanny and the other family but it might get you a more experienced nanny and still allow a part time schedule. We've had nannies for 5 years now PT and I've always found exactly what everyone has already said - really good folks who do it for a career generally need/want full time and people who are willing to take part time usually do so because it's an interim gig while they work towards something else or take care of their own children (which means you deal with school breaks, illnesses, etc.). We also pay well and have good relationships with our nannies but it's tough to get someone to stay long term in a PT position.

Anonymous wrote:I have a part-time nanny. I made it clear in my listing that I was looking for part-time, long-term. I confirmed when people made contact with me. And then I asked again what kind of work they were looking for when I interviewed them. Usually people would initially say oh yes part time is fine, but then later would say well really I'm looking for full time. I talked to a few who already had part time work and we're looking for another part time job to complete their week. I ended up hiring a nanny who already provided after school care for a child and wanted a morning position. She's been with us 6 months so far, with no indications that she's looking for something different.

This is exactly the right approach, OP. Don't hope -- ask point-blank, and evaluate the response for the ring of truth.

I have a part-time nanny. I made it clear in my listing that I was looking for part-time, long-term. I confirmed when people made contact with me. And then I asked again what kind of work they were looking for when I interviewed them. Usually people would initially say oh yes part time is fine, but then later would say well really I'm looking for full time. I talked to a few who already had part time work and we're looking for another part time job to complete their week. I ended up hiring a nanny who already provided after school care for a child and wanted a morning position. She's been with us 6 months so far, with no indications that she's looking for something different.

I do not nor have I ever seen any logic in the notion that just because an employer offers part-time hours, then they should offer a higher salary than they would for offering full-time hours.

It's not like Walmart & McDonalds offer a higher hourly rate for their part-time employees vs. their full-time ones.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pay better, OP. That is the only way. Make it worth it for her to work less for the same money as if she were working full time at $20

I don't understand people who do this. If I only need someone 20 hours a week, I'm going to pay $30/hr for a $20/hr job? Umm ... no. I'm going to look for someone who can do something else for me the other 15-20 hours a week if I can't find a PT person.

Good luck with that.

Anonymous wrote:Pay better, OP. That is the only way. Make it worth it for her to work less for the same money as if she were working full time at $20

I don't understand people who do this. If I only need someone 20 hours a week, I'm going to pay $30/hr for a $20/hr job? Umm ... no. I'm going to look for someone who can do something else for me the other 15-20 hours a week if I can't find a PT person.

Pay better, OP. That is the only way. Make it worth it for her to work less for the same money as if she were working full time at $20

A college student or a nanny whose schedule would be full time with your job and a second job. We have a brilliant and wonderful nanny who works for us Monday thru Thursday at only 34 hours a week and has a second job on Fridays and Saturdays.

I had part time nannies for years. None lasted longer than a year, but no one left before 9 months, either.

I've posted about this before; people who want part time work generally have a reason for wanting it (school, family care, other personal project) and when that reason changes or no longer exists, they will move on. So even with a terrific benefit package, it will be the rare candidate who will stay forever at part time.

However, do not interview people who say they want full time work. That's the first thing I ask someone applying for a part time job with me -- Do they understand that this is a part time position, and are they ultimately hoping to find full time work?

This is going to drastically reduce your pool of applicants. But if you want someone who is going to stay for at least a year, you need to focus on the few like the above poster who want part time work.

My other thought is that if you can afford a full-time salary, you might have more luck finding a housekeeper/nanny who would work for you full time.

She cannot support herself on 20 hours a week/that salary. A college student would be a better choice.

I also prefer part time, but unlike PP I cobble together part time jobs. My reasoning is if I lose one job, then I'm just filling in one or two days a week, not a full week. It is less income loss which is easier to absorb and gives me time to find the right job to replace the lost one. Your job would be very attractive to me. Try to attract someone who is interested in part time or willing to consider PT hours. Do you have a friend who only needs 1 day a week? Or several friends who need regular date night work? Are you willing to consider a nanny share so the nanny makes FT income on PT hours?

I personally prefer part-time work over full-time.

Reason being is that @my age, forty-seven I have already raised my own children fully & doing childcare 40+hours per week would be a little much for me.

Fortunately for me, I have the luxury of being able to survive on only part-time work, but realize that many Nannies cannot.

You would probably do best w/a retired person or someone who already has a main source of monthly income but needs to supplement that.
Or maybe a SAHM who can bring along her own child??

By the way, your pay/benefit package is more than generous in my opinion.

Best of luck in your search OP.
I hope you find your perfect match very soon!

OP here. Thanks for responding. Her hours did not fluctuate, I just tried to give her more because she wanted more. My hours were steady... but she always needed more. Good insight in any case.

Nanny here. Nannies like a predictable schedule. Since your hours seem to fluctuate, the nanny may find difficulty in obtaining second job that works around your schedule. Full time guaranteed hours are far more appealing in general. You may need a higher hourly rate to attract an applicant that is serious about making a long-term commitment.

I hired a part-time nanny with the following package: 25 hrs guaranteed, $20/hr, two weeks paid vacation; five days paid sick leave; all federal holidays paid; snow days as per government guidance. She left the job three weeks after because she found a full-time position. So much wasted time interviewing candidates. Every week this nanny was with me I tried to offer her more hours per week, around 30, sometimes close to 40. She left me in a heartbeat. I have re-posted ad under the same terms. From the interviews so far, I have the feeling that we're going the same route, as my selected applicants are all looking for full-time ultimately. The rest are college students, which I'm not particularly interested in. For nannies, how long have you realistically kept a part-time? For employers, how long have you been able to keep a part-time nanny? I feel like I am walking towards a dead end. Or perhaps my offer is terrible?