- Most nanny services charge a recurring membership fee to people who want to find work with children. They may conduct a short interview, ask for references and work records, conduct a background check and continue to monitor their status as they work. However, such services are a rarity in the market for nannies - most of them conduct no more quality control than a classified-ad-listing service. The average nanny agency is nothing more than a specialized temporary-worker agency that will, most often, skim a portion of their members' paychecks every week. Contracting a nanny service will cost $400 or more, generally taking a flat fee up-front until a suitable candidate is found. Some online nanny agencies can cost less than $100 in certain instances, such as GoNannies or eNannySource.
- Check any nanny applicant's background independently. Although there are costs involved, a criminal background check, credit check and inquiry to the sex-offender registry can protect your child from predators working as nannies. An interview and some brief reference calls are not sufficient - a nanny will be left alone to watch your child, in your home, in most cases for a period of years.
- Child-rearing norms are often very different in foreign countries. For example, although it is highly disturbing and frightening to acknowledge, violence of all kinds and even overt sexual abuse is considered to be proper "discipline" throughout much of the world. Ask specifically about whether the nanny believes that hitting, slapping or verbal humiliation is ever an acceptable way to treat a child. Child abuse is a serious crime that both endangers children and has significant lifelong consequences to mental health, even if treated quickly.
- Nannies that drive should also be able to provide driving records, or they ought to be independently checked by parents. Contact an independent background-check agency for their driving record. Be wary of agencies that will block off or heavily control access to interviewing the nanny. If the nanny can't directly address questions from parents, it's a significant red flag, and good cause to contract with another nanny service. Find out about refund policies that the agency might offer. Often, trouble shows up in the first week or two after hiring, and it is better to end the working relationship before children in their care bond to them emotionally.
- Contracting with an experienced agency can greatly reduce the stress and difficulty involved in finding the right nanny. Agencies that take particular care in recruiting experienced nannies with broad networks of references and established child-care techniques may be more expensive, but the time that they save by conducting more prescreening may make it worthwhile. An agency can also act as an intermediary if there are any disputes regarding money or behavior on the part of the nanny.
