Finding and choosing a nanny to care for your child or children can be a daunting task. Many parents, faced with the prospect of hiring a nanny, find that they don’t even know where to begin. Fortunately, there are a few basic steps that you can go through to start the process of finding a nanny.

The first step is to determine exactly what type of child care you need. If money is not a concern, or if you have other circumstances, such as three or more children or a child who has special needs, you may choose to use a nanny.
Once the initial decision is made to hire a nanny, you have to decide exactly what kind of nanny you are looking for. You should take some time to write out the personality traits, skills, and experience that you want your nanny to have. In terms of personality, you want to find a nanny that comes across as loving and patient with your children. You should try to find someone that is cheerful, and has a generally positive attitude and outlook. You want a nanny that is oriented toward children and families. Finally, you want to make sure that she seems to have good old fashioned common sense.

There are certain skills you should make sure that your nanny possesses. If you have infants in the home, you should be certain that she has had some experience in caring for infants. If possible, you should choose a nanny who has had some paid work experience, whether in child care or in another area. This will help you determine the potential nanny’s work ethic, and whether she enjoys working or not. In addition, your nanny should have at least basic first aid knowledge, and you should help her to receive child and infant CPR training if she does not have it.

You may wish to look for other requirements in a nanny. These can include things such as no smoking, no alcohol or drug use, and good health and grooming habits. You might look for a high school graduate, and/or some college or nanny type coursework. Once you’ve determined what type of nanny you want, you should write these qualifications into a job description.

Next, it is time to identify sources that you can use to search for a nanny. During this process, it pays to be vocal about your need for child care. By talking to everyone you know about your need for a nanny, such as other parents, the pediatrician, neighbors, family members, friends, and even a nanny you meet on the street, you may find some excellent leads. Beyond word of mouth, you can look in your local telephone directory for any childcare-related agencies. Local colleges may have employment offices with which you can place an ad, or they may have a childcare referral service. Your employer may also offer such a service. On the Internet, you can find various organizations that can help you to find a nanny. There are also several nanny schools in the U.S. that you can contact. If all else fails, you can place an ad in your local newspaper.

Soon, you should begin to receive responses. From there, it is time to screen out applicants, conduct interviews, and check references. Eventually, once you’ve found a suitable candidate, you’ll want to write up a contract and make an offer. Keep in mind that, in some areas, the nanny market is very tight, and you may have to search for a while, or you may have to make your offer bigger and better than other people in your area.

Posted in Child Care Issues

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