The hiring of a nanny takes time and special care to find the right match for your family. But if you’re looking for a live-in nanny, the search becomes tougher and the review process essential.

Your live-in nanny will become a day-to-day part of your household, a role model for your children, and indeed, a part of the family. For that reason, you must determine exactly what you’re looking for well before your first nanny interview ever happens.

If it sounds like serious business, it is. But consider the brighter side as well. A live-in nanny also brings great value and joy to your family, when the fit is right.

Indeed, many live-in nannies are talented professionals devoted to caring for and enriching the lives of the children in their care. Some are retired educators. Others have expertise in the medical field. And, of course, each potential live-in nanny comes with his or her own unique background and experience level.

So, what does your family need?

Seeking the right live-in nanny

There are all kinds of nannies for all kinds of families. When conducting your search for a live-in nanny, you should consider the role you will expect them to play within the fabric of your family.

Here are some things to consider:

• Will your nanny’s duties be explicitly related to childcare, or do you need assistance with household chores as well? (Examples include cooking and/or meal preparation.) If the latter, you may be looking for a Nanny Housekeeper, which you should specify in your search.

• Is this the first time your family has hired a live-in nanny? If so, consider how this will impact your family’s day-to-day experience and prepare for it.

• Have you prepared appropriate accommodations for your live-in nanny? In her off hours, your nanny should be able to enjoy a reasonable level of privacy, even within the home.

• What kind of hours will you need from your nanny, and what wages are appropriate given your expectations?

• Task-wise, what do you expect from your live-in nanny on a day-to-day basis?

• Should your nanny have a particular educational background or level of experience?

• What do you hope your nanny will bring to your child’s life?

When you’ve thought about the above questions, you’ll be in a much better position to evaluate candidates for your live-in nanny position. Again, this is a case where the right fit is of great importance. Although it happens from time to time (and is sometimes beyond your control), you don’t want to find yourself in a situation where your nanny hire does not work out and you have to begin the search process all over again.

The Live-In Nanny Work Week

One of the greatest benefits of hiring a live-in nanny is that she can become such an integral part of your child’s day-to-day life. That being said, your nanny needs some time off, just like any other employee! Be a good employer, and remember to respect your nanny’s boundaries as much as you will expect them to respect yours.

Minimize obligations which will conflict with nanny’s day off. Pay extra for overtime hours. Most importantly, be respectful and award your live-in nanny for a job well done. As an employee that becomes an integrated part of the employer household, it’s easy to forget that your nanny has a life outside of your home.

The golden rule for live-in nannies

Above all else, keep an open line of communication with your live-in nanny. Provide feedback and encouragement. Encourage your nanny to be candid about her observations, questions, and even frustrations.

Just as you want your live-in nanny to be honest with you, be honest in return. It’s a surefire way to develop a positive environment for you, your family, and your live-in nanny.

Since many Live-in Nannies are willing to relocate for the right position, NannyClassifieds.com is the perfect place to conduct your search on a national level. Click here to search the nanny database and place your free ad.

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Choosing the right caregiver for your family is not only a very emotional decision — it can be very time consuming and perhaps even a bit overwhelming.

But there are ways to not only ease your stress, but also to increase your chances of finding the perfect nanny. The key is to carry out your nanny search in an organized way, with the appropriate considerations in mind.

What to Look for in a Nanny When looking for a nanny for your family, you’re not just hiring an employee — you’re selecting a role model and caregiver who will become a real part of your child or children’s life. For that reason, prepare for a careful nanny-selection process, and expect to spend some time going through that process. By putting in the appropriate level of research up front, it will ensure a happy experience for you, your child, and your nanny.

Before you even begin to review nanny resumes, decide what you’re looking for. Will your nanny be with you every day? (Allowing for days off, of course.) Will she be there nights and weekends? Are you looking for help with household duties as well?

To ensure a positive experience with your nanny, you must be 100% honest about your needs and requirements on the front end. Otherwise, you’ll end up frustrated, or your nanny will become overwhelmed. Needless to say, neither scenario makes for a positive long-term experience for you or your kids.

Here are some additional things to think about:

• Will your nanny live with your family?
• Should your nanny have his or her own transportation?
• How much are you willing to spend?
• How much education do you prefer your nanny have?
• What level of experience do you expect?
• Should your nanny have any specific first-aid experience or medical knowledge?

In a sense, these may seem like simple questions. But by having well-defined answers in mind before you start your search, you’ll be in a much better position to find a nanny who fits your requirements.

Take the Time

The very best advice we can offer to any family seeking out a nanny — whether it’s for the first time or not — is to take the time necessary to do it right. A successful nanny search requires research, patience, and diligence. If your gut tells you something is not right, keep looking. Don’t settle because you’re running short on time.

Where to Find Your Nanny

There are numerous ways to seek out a nanny for your family, from classified ads to tailored online searches. The benefit of an online search is that it often affords your family both a wider range of options and a greater level of specificity in defining your nanny search criteria. Curious how an online search works? Nanny Classifieds is designed to connect the right nannies with the right families. Click Here and see how it works

Regardless of the recruitment method you choose, once you’ve identified some qualified nanny candidates, it’s time to begin interviews. Whenever possible, conduct nanny interviews in person, though an initial phone interview can help to screen candidates.

Nervous about your nanny interviews? That’s totally normal! Simply be thorough and thoughtful as you ask questions. It’s better for you, and it’s better for your nanny.

Legalities, Taxes, and More

What are appropriate wages for a nanny in your area? How do you handle taxes? Do you offer benefits? If you’re like most people, you’re not an expert in the legal and tax-related requirements that come along with hiring a household employee. Luckily, you can glean important lessons from others, including experts who specialize in the field. Link up with other families with nannies in your area. Contact an expert. It may be a little work on the front end, but it will be more than worth it in the long run. Have a specific question? Ask the Experts at 4EverythingNanny.com

One More Time—Take Your Time

We can’t say it enough. Give yourself a solid month or two, and you should have the time you need to find the right match. Keep in mind that this is far different than hiring a new office worker. Turnover at an office is understandable and adults are accustomed to handling new faces. But, your little ones may become quickly attached to a nanny and won’t understand the other issues involved.

Need help? Search our Nanny Database for available candidates in your area and place a Free Help Wanted Ad. Start Here.

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According to the following article Home Invasions are on the rise. The most recent FBI data reports that residential robberies, which include home invasions, rose nearly 13% in 2006 from 2002, even as violent crime overall decreased 0.4%. Last year, 64,000 residential robberies were reported.

If you are a nanny, whether for the extremely wealthy or not, this article provides excellent tips on safeguarding against home invasion. I also think it reiterates the importance of a live, real-time home monitoring system like we endorse at BestNannyCam.com.

Article: Home Invasion Wave Alarms Wealthy

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Nannies,  It’s time we hear from you.  What are your opinions on your chosen career? We’d like your feedback on why you have chosen the nanny profession, what you like and don’t like about it and any advice you have for new parents.   

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The Mistake That Was Prevented
We usually begin with a serious mistake which triggers lawsuit. In this case, we’ll highlight a lawsuit that didn’t happen. A potentially expensive, time-consuming, and relationship-ending mistake was prevented by a family’s decision to purchase a workers’ compensation policy.

The Law
What is a workers’ compensation policy and what benefit does it provide? Workers’ compensation is not a payroll tax and is not included in the payroll withholding or tax remittance process. It is an insurance policy and must be purchased through the state or a state-licensed insurance provider. Workers’ compensation provides financial assistance to employees who suffer job-related injury or illness. The benefits assist with lost wages as well as medical expenses.

In addition, it protects employers from lawsuits; when an employee who has been injured on the job accepts workers’ compensation benefits, she forfeits the option to sue her employer.

Household employers are required to hold a workers’ compensation policy on their household employees in approximately 30 states. (Note: Many families are already covered under their current homeowners insurance policy. If they are not already covered, they can usually add a rider over the phone.)

The Mess
· A nanny slipped on her employer’s front steps and broke her ankle.

· After a trip to the emergency room to confirm that the ankle was broken and to seek medical treatment, the nanny approached the family with the following demands:

1. She demanded payment for all medical treatment, since the injury occurred on the job.

2. She informed the family that her husband was considering a lawsuit against the family for lost wages.

· The family, a Breedlove & Associates client, contacted us for guidance on how to handle this mess. They did not want to lose their nanny nor did they want an expensive lawsuit. However, they did not feel they should pay for medical treatment and lost wages just because the injury occurred in their home.

· The family lived in California, a state in which household employers are required by law to have workers’ compensation. We explained that workers’ compensation benefits would address all of the issues of this case successfully. The family could not remember if they had purchased a workers’ compensation policy, so we instructed them to check with their homeowner’s insurance representative to see if the policy was simply a part of their annual insurance premiums.

The Outcome
· The family did indeed have a workers’ compensation policy that they
established when they hired their nanny. It was a part of their annual
insurance premiums and thus easy to forget.

· The nanny filed a workers’ compensation benefit claim. The benefits covered her medical expenses. The benefits also provided compensation for lost wages while she was away from work. In accepting the benefits, she and her husband forfeited the right to sue. The employment relationship was salvaged, and the nanny returned to work.
To help you explain this part of the tax law to your clients, we have developed a one-page educational flyer entitled “Worker’s Compensation: What it is, Why it’s important, and who’s required to have it.” The flyer can be downloaded from http://www.breedlove-online.com/partners/library-of-educational-literature-helpful-tools along with our other helpful resources. Or feel free to invite your clients to call us for a complimentary, no-obligation phone consultation. In about 10 minutes, we can assess their situation and give them comprehensive financial and legal guidance.

If you would like hard copies of our “Worker’s Compensation” flyer, just send an email to info@breedlove-online.com.

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Show your Super Nanny how much you appreciate her with a gift from the Nanny Gift Shop.

• T-shirts

• Sweatshirts
  

• Totes

• Coffee mugs

• And so much more…

Humorous. Thoughtful. Perfect for today’s nanny. SHOP NOW  http://www.cafepress.com/4nanny

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Matching the right nanny with the right family is what separates the successful agencies from the also-rans. But with the growth of numerous online nanny registration sites, many would-be employers are bypassing nanny agencies in the hopes that they can do the job themselves The question is: How do nanny placement agencies compete with these potential competitors? The answer actually lies in the old adage: If you can’t beat them, join them.

Online nanny registration sites such as www.nannyclassifieds.com, are actually helping agencies place more nannies and find more parents looking for help in securing dependable child care.

Listings, Listings, Listings

The first step, of course, is finding eligible nannies. Many nanny agencies conduct their search via multiple media – including newspaper ads, listings on their own websites, college and community job boards, and more. Lately, however, more and more agencies have been expanding the ways in which they use the Internet both to market their nannies and to find them.

NannyClassifieds.com, for example, has recently reported that an increasing number of agencies are signing up for their services in order to supplement their recruiting activities.

“Some agencies see it as competition – but it’s not really competition,” says Alicia Torchia, a Placement Consultant with Careful Caregivers in Skillman, NJ. Why? It’s all about specialization. “Only so many caregivers will fit a certain position,” Torchia explains. “With NannyClassifieds.com, I can specify on my profile exactly what I’m looking for in terms of experience.”

Merrilan Kougias from Choose the Right Nanny in McKinney, TX also makes online recruitment a part of her greater recruitment plan, one which includes numerous media and methods. “We began with just a website, but quickly learned that you have to ‘drive’ clients to your location,” Kougias says. “We began utilizing Web-enhancement tools like Google very soon after and Nanny Classifieds over a year ago. We like how we can put in our own selection criteria… Every morning we have new resumes in our e-mail to review!”

Especially when serving families with very specific criteria, an online search allows agencies to post openings based on those particular needs. The result is a more qualified candidate pool and a much greater chance for a successful match. “There are many days when we will have 10 resumes or more,” Kougias says. “Not all of the candidates will meet our criteria, but the way I figure it, if even one does, and we are able to place that candidate, then my advertising dollars for that month have been well spent.”

To assist agencies in meeting their recruitment goals, NannyClassifieds makes it easy to post targeted ads, whether one’s market is regional or national. Agencies can post up to four ads at a time, have unlimited access to nanny contact information, and receive notifications each time a nanny signs up in their area.

Of course, good old-fashioned word-of-mouth is important, too. “I can’t tell you the number of times that I have been standing in a line at the grocery store or the post office and people will notice my name tag and ask what it is I do,” says Kougias. “It isn’t uncommon for me to hand out several cards to people who are interested in becoming a nanny or better yet, they are in the process of searching for a nanny!”

In today’s marketplace, an integrated marketing plan is the surest path to success. Interested in expanding your recruitment plan with NannyClassifieds.com? Click here to learn more.

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