My name is Glenda Propst. I am one of the 3 CO Founders of the now defunct National Association of Nannies. (The late Harriette Grant and Eva Harkness Phd were also co founders)
NAN was run by nannies for nannies from 1992-2005.
Even our organization had agencies as supporting members.
After 28 years in this industry, I can say without a doubt that in order to move our industry forward it takes all facets of the industry to work together toward progress.
We don't always agree on everything but we try to focus on our common goals and I am proud to be a founding board member of INA.
Our industry is multi faceted, if we are divided from within, how can we expect to project professionalism and a united industry to the rest of the world?

Anonymous wrote:Becky here again . . . the blance of memberships in INA are business related. Business related means nanny placement agencies, support businesses (nanny tax co., background check co., insurance co., etc.), staff of any of these busnesses, educators/schools with nanny or NCS specific training programs and some Newborn Care Specialists that also operate placement opportunities for NCS individuals.

So if you're a Newborn Care Specialist, NCS, are you a nanny or a business?

Becky here again . . . the blance of memberships in INA are business related. Business related means nanny placement agencies, support businesses (nanny tax co., background check co., insurance co., etc.), staff of any of these busnesses, educators/schools with nanny or NCS specific training programs and some Newborn Care Specialists that also operate placement opportunities for NCS individuals.

Btw, obviously no one cares about exact numbers that may change daily, as people may join or drop out.

We would like you to confirm if there are approximately 619 nanny members, who are presumed to be employed by parents, or looking to be employed by parents?

The balance of the membership are business owners and their employees, plus the six nanny employers that Becky mentioned?

Anonymous wrote:I'm Becky Kavanagh, a professional nanny of 23 years and I've been an INA member since I began my career. I'm currently the INA Co-President along with Susan. I have been on the INA Board of Directors for many years - the first time for 6 years, then I took a little break and came back to serve, now starting my 5th year for the most recent service period. I was the President previously and returned to be Co-President now. My experience with INA has been more than positive - I've met lifelong friends, made network connections, have the opportunity for outstanding continuing education and felt that my voice as a nanny has been heard and honored.

We have a strong membership base as Alice has already provided - of that number we have 6 family members who join to support the association. Marcia provided excellent information regarding our mission and the way in which INA started. As she so clearly stated INA has never been a nanny only association - it was not started, developed or planned to be anything but an inclusive industry wide organization. Kathy and Susan have already provided clarity about our organization and recent sucessfull annual conference. INA is a not for profit organization.

The board of directors is open to feedback and questions. You can contact our office to get your messages through to any of us. Our contact information is available from our website at www.nanny.org.

So you're saying that INA has 619 actual (employed or looking to be employed) nannies?

I'm Becky Kavanagh, a professional nanny of 23 years and I've been an INA member since I began my career. I'm currently the INA Co-President along with Susan. I have been on the INA Board of Directors for many years - the first time for 6 years, then I took a little break and came back to serve, now starting my 5th year for the most recent service period. I was the President previously and returned to be Co-President now. My experience with INA has been more than positive - I've met lifelong friends, made network connections, have the opportunity for outstanding continuing education and felt that my voice as a nanny has been heard and honored.

We have a strong membership base as Alice has already provided - of that number we have 6 family members who join to support the association. Marcia provided excellent information regarding our mission and the way in which INA started. As she so clearly stated INA has never been a nanny only association - it was not started, developed or planned to be anything but an inclusive industry wide organization. Kathy and Susan have already provided clarity about our organization and recent sucessfull annual conference. INA is a not for profit organization.

The board of directors is open to feedback and questions. You can contact our office to get your messages through to any of us. Our contact information is available from our website at www.nanny.org.

Are ina and apna supposed to be nonprofits?

One of the big things INA could do is to really start advocating shorter working weeks for nannies. It is sad that the "standard" working week for a nanny is 50 hours. I've seen job postings from agencies stating jobs for 55-60 hours a week. How is a nanny supposed to have any sort of life with working that many hours a week? Especially when you add time for commuting.

It is one of the big reasons why I no longer nanny. I could not stomach the idea of working for someone for so many hours a week anymore. Sure, I could work part-time as a nanny, but I have another job where the flexibility is so much better and I don't have to arrange a day off of work three months in advance.

They are apparantly proving themselves to be a marketing scam to profit the business owners, but parading as an educational resource for nannies and the parents who employ them.

www.nanny.org

The business owners do not much more than promote themselves at every opportunity.

www.theapna.org

Enough is enough. Time to finally clean up their act.

I think what the nanny industry needs desperately is some kind of licensing system, that sets the standard for training, knowledge, and experience necessary to call yourself a nanny. The general lack of respect for our profession, to me, seems to be due to the fact that anyone can call themselves a nanny and there are too many people doing so that are unqualified and have no real desire/incentive to do a good job. I would like to see a baseline of training required ie. CPR/first aid, child development on a basic level, and child safety. An organization that provides these things (which I know the INA does but its not a national standard) as well as training nannies to self advocate and to behave professionally, setting minimum standards for what is acceptable, and also lobbying to see the employment laws that protect us actually enforced and getting new laws on the books.

I do not have any idea how an organization like this would be organized or funded, but I would definitely be willing to put in the time to see it happen. It was never a goal of mine to work as a nanny, but circumstances changed while I was in school and I found myself working as a nanny and loving it. I have personally experienced the good and the atrocious of nannying and how employers can treat us, and it really burns me up that it feels like no one is doing anything about it. I had never experienced or witnessed such institutionalized mistreatment before entering this industry, and it really saddens me that we allow it to exist in this country and to hear the excuses as to why.

I was under the incorrect impression that the INA was an organization dedicated to the training and organizing of nannies across this country, but if that was never their intention, I cannot fault them for not being that organization. It is however nice to know that this is not the organization that I am looking for, and said organization may not exist (yet). Thank you to the board members who have attempted to answer the questions posed on this thread. It has been enlightening.

Anonymous wrote:That questions was answered by Alice - 625.

She quoted 625 nannies AND employers of nannies. She can certainly change her mind if she feels like it. It looks like we simply will not know the truth.

That questions was answered by Alice - 625.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Goodness, so how many of the 900 INA members are nannies? Seems like such a simple question.
(Hint: The answer should be 3 digits.)

Alice answered .... 625 Invididual members. Nannies, NCS, etc. Only nannies, NCS, etc., can be individual members.

Alice quoted that the 625 nannies, so called "Individual Members" also include nanny employers.

Why all the confusion here?

How is it, that none of the four (so far) INA board members (Kathy, Susan, Marcia, Alice - Thanks!) who have come on here to tell us how much they love the INA, can't tell us how many actual NANNY members there are?

Anonymous wrote:Goodness, so how many of the 900 INA members are nannies? Seems like such a simple question.
(Hint: The answer should be 3 digits.)

Alice answered .... 625 Invididual members. Nannies, NCS, etc. Only nannies, NCS, etc., can be individual members.

NO THANKS.