If you have had six nannies in as many months, YOU ARE THE PROBLEM.

The quick response here is that you are not offering a competitive rate. If all you are getting are flakes and people that make you uneasy, again, not a high enough rate.

I suggest starting over and writing a job description that makes the position sound a bit challenging. If you want a good nanny, be realistic - no child is 100% lovely at all times. Also, talk about your ideal nanny. Will she have a degree? Do you need her for more than a year? What do you want her to bring to your child that YOU lack?

Ask 2 screening questions in your ad and discard any replies that fail to answer those questions. You can say, "In your response please tell me when you are able to work Monday through Friday. Please also let me know how many full time nanny positions (40+hours/week) you have held."

You have to do your screening via email or messages first. If it is essential to you that your nanny speak and write English fluently, screen for that.

Then speak with up to a dozen candidates on the phone, again screening for what is important to you.

Bring your top 3-4 candidates in for a face to face interview. Have them meet the baby and evaluate his reaction to each candidate. Does the candidate wash her hands and ask if she should remove her shoes when she comes in? Ask open ended questions about daily care issues that occur now and in the future. "What would you do if my child had a temper tantrum at the zoo when he was 2? How would you handle it if he refused to eat the meal you made him when he was 3?"

You need to have an idea of how YOU might want situations managed, so that you can figure out which nanny is the best match for you.

Take the time to thoroughly check references as well are NCS you are down to 2 candidates. Google past employers or look them up on social media. Ask in depth questions. If both nannies have good references, ask them each to work a trial day. Then pick whoever was the best fit, offer them the job at $20/hour, with all standard benefits, and see how things work out.

I agree with the title and with the responses you've received. You do get what you pay for. Paying $5 more an hour has paid me dividends in not having to miss work and damaging my career reputation by having flaky childcare. I recommend searching on DCUM from previous families that have children starting school and are trying to find loving families for their nanny to go to.

I just so happen to be one of those moms. If you do need a US citizen, on the books, who until your little one needs care until they start Kindergarten, my nanny is it!

Email me at betsy.delee@gmail.com if you want to talk about her credentials and what you'll need to do to "get" her.

That's how you know it's really someone good; when the previous mom interviews YOU.

I’m in Arlington and pay $20/hour on the books plus a non-taxable healthcare contribution of $100/week. Plus paid vacation and generous year-end bonuses. I have found two great nannies on the local mom listserv. $15 is incredibly low.

Anonymous wrote:MB here. $15/hr is low. The nannies you are hiring are either taking less money for a reason or know that they could be making more elsewhere and are bitter about it.

I had a couple of nannies before we found our current one, who we just love. The best way to find people is through word of mouth. Get on all of the Silver Spring moms listserves and Facebook groups and look for posts of moms trying to find help their nannies find a new job. That is gold.

MB here. $15/hr is low. The nannies you are hiring are either taking less money for a reason or know that they could be making more elsewhere and are bitter about it.

We paid our nanny 20 an hour on the books with about 6 weeks paid vacation (I have generous PTO and we have grandparents who get them some) for two kids - elementary schooler and preschooler. Her hours included the 12 hours my preschooler was in school during the last year we had her since we didn’t want her to get another job during that time. She did do drop off and pick up.

We are in SS. She drove and had a car which was helpful. I’m trying to help her get a new job for fall and some moms act like 20 is not out of the question but pricey. Sounds like that is the rate?

Six nannies, salary way too low plus you are not someone they wish to work for. Look in the mirror:. You are the problem.

We live in DC near Silver Spring, and pay our lovely nanny $22 an hour on the books, plus 3 weeks paid vacation, sick leave and $200 per month to go towards her health insurance. We have had her with us for 6 years. So, yes, I would think that your rate is low and probably attracting less experienced child care more inclined to leave for better offers.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m in silver spring and pay $19 on the books and generous vacation and bonuses. Lovely nanny, not fluent English but fluent in my native language which was important to us (not Spanish).
I interviewed 8 nannies and would have hired 3 of them. 2 has the native langueage and 1 was fluent in English only. Most wanted between 18-22 an hour and no one would work for $15 an hour.
How do you interview these nannies? I did 2 shadow days (paid) as well.
Silver spring has very robust and active moms groups and people are always posting for their nannies for Tate next job when their kid goes to preschool. That was one of my candidates.

$19 on the books is $17 cash.

Yes I’m a simple calculation. But she gets a lot of her taxes redunded to her and qualifies for social security and unemployment.

You have no idea how much of a refund she might get, and unless she is very close to retirement, social security is probably not going to be reality for most people. I always insist on being paid on the books but I get why many people don’t.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m in silver spring and pay $19 on the books and generous vacation and bonuses. Lovely nanny, not fluent English but fluent in my native language which was important to us (not Spanish).
I interviewed 8 nannies and would have hired 3 of them. 2 has the native langueage and 1 was fluent in English only. Most wanted between 18-22 an hour and no one would work for $15 an hour.
How do you interview these nannies? I did 2 shadow days (paid) as well.
Silver spring has very robust and active moms groups and people are always posting for their nannies for Tate next job when their kid goes to preschool. That was one of my candidates.

$19 on the books is $17 cash.

Yes I’m a simple calculation. But she gets a lot of her taxes redunded to her and qualifies for social security and unemployment.

OP, you are not entitled to a professional nanny at a high school babysitter’s price. That’s simply not how it works. If you like the nannies you see that you “know” make less than $15/hr, offer them a better job.

I am in the DC suburbs on the VA side (Falls church/Arlington/Alexandria area, not McLean or Great Falls where everyone has a mansion) and I bring home $1000 a week AFTER taxes. OP needs to switch some priorities. Keep the price but do a nanny share, or change her requirements.

OP. You need to look at what is at the center of all of this.

You
Sorry but true.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are paying too low to find a good nanny, OP.

Try daycare.

she is paying $15*40 + $22.5*10 = $825 gross for 1 baby.

might even be all-cash.

If you read, you would know the OP wouldn’t work with a nanny who wanted cash. So taxes are being taken out of that $825 gross for 1 baby. Which might be enough for you but not enough for an actually good in demand nanny.