I feel that any nanny that can attract the attention of a prestigious nanny agency can safely fall into the "professional" category.

Anonymous wrote:What defines a “professional nanny”?

In this country there is no such thing as a professional nanny. No license is needed to be a nanny. No special education is needed to be a nanny. In the United States, there is no educational institute that trains or gives a diploma for a professional nanny.

I considered myself a professional Nanny and didn’t have a degree or certificate in childcare.
I did the au pair program for a year, and started Nannying after that. I made the effort to research age appropriate behavior and age appropriate activities.
Now I’m a parent I would hire someone with experience and a good attitude over someone with a degree and minimal hands on experience.

Degree, cpr, first aid, water safety. 3+ years experience.

$30/hr plus benefits and vacation.

A professional nanny is one that has a relevant training and education to be a nanny. For example they have a diploma from the Norland Agency, or in the US they have a degree in early childhood education. It means that the well being of a child in the early years is something that they have invested in, and have chosen this as their career path and.

But as it comes to this board, this is a self given title that some nannies give themselves. The ones here rarely have any additional training or education that the other nannies, they are just trying to convey that they are not an immigrant.

But what skills do you expect one to have?

A career nanny with over five years of experience, first aid /cpr certification and maybe a degree.

What defines a “professional nanny”?