Anonymous wrote:I am a nanny who has found lots of jobs from sittercity. My advice is to cast your net very far and consider and interview a lot of people. This may seem overwhelming, but then you can weed people out after phone interviews and meet a few in person. This way, you get the chance to see 3 sides of the nanny (online, on the phone, and in person) and can be sure that it's a good fit overall.
I would also be very clear and specific about how much you can pay and expect to pay the nanny and whether or not you are paying taxes. Supervised play is always a good way to know whether a nanny is a good fit or not. Suggest she play with the kids for a short amount of time while you are home but not in the room, or do a trial day like PP suggested.
Don't feel too reassured about background checks on care.com and sittercity as they are not as extensive or informative as one might think. Google the potential nanny, check:
https://eapps.courts.state.va.us/gdcourts/caseSearch.do?welcomePage=welcomePage for specifics about arrest records or tickets, and of course talk to their references. You can never be too careful but luckily there are many things you can do to make sure that they are someone that you feel comfortable having take care of your children.