The choice of a care provider can be just as crucial as the one to become a parent. Good nannies are in exceptionally high demand in larger cities, where finding the right nursery or kindergarten is challenging.
You’ll probably wonder who could be the right fit with tens, possibly hundreds of online profiles of nannies in your area alone.
A Manageable Process
The process is more manageable than you might think. First, establish the type of professional you’re looking for. If you don’t need a nanny daily, decide how many days a week you’ll need her. Think about the time of day and how many hours a day she’ll be working for you. Include extra hours at the weekend and on holidays. Try to create a flexible work schedule.
If applicable, ask your partner or spouse if you’d need the nanny to go on trips with you and your child or children. Consider the issue of COVID testing and vaccination and whether you will need care services in the evening as well. If you can get candidates to agree to a precheck drug screen, even better.
Start Looking
You do all of this before you even start looking. It’s no good finding someone and then figuring out the work conditions. They are one of the things the interview should start with.
When you start interviewing candidates, ask them if they agree to the proposed schedule, including any additional hours at the weekend, evenings, or holidays. If not, the interview ends there.
The next step is to check the current rates for nannies in your city or region. Offer slightly higher than average to attract better candidates.
Most parents look for nannies online. Popular nanny databases have affordable subscription fees, allowing an unlimited number of searches.
Post An Ad
If you’d rather post an ad and have candidates come to you, write a job description that’s not too vague or brief. A professional nanny won’t apply. At the same time, it shouldn’t be too long, so people don’t lose interest.
When you meet someone that might be the right fit, ask them for references and follow up by getting in touch with those references. Ask them whatever interests you, even if it might not seem very important. Above all, ask what they liked and didn’t like about the nanny. If hiring through an agency, ask about any special policies you should be aware of.
Why isn’t the nanny working for this person anymore? There’s usually a valid reason, like the child growing up or the family or nanny moving. Ask whether they’d choose her if they ever needed a nanny again. You might hear an interesting reason as to why or why not.
Running A Background Check
Once you’ve got the choice down to two or three people, don’t just look for relevant childcare experience on their resumes. Call former employers, if applicable, and check for the necessary vaccinations beyond COVID. If you reside in Rhode Island, try using the ri public records for more details on your candidate.
Use a lookup service to run background checks on candidates. This lookup will provide valuable information about your potential nanny: social networks, job history, and perhaps even her driving history. A quick background check can help verify the information she has given you.
You Need Her Personal Data
If you want to run a background check, you can’t do without her personal data. If you’re using an officially registered screening provider, you must tell her and ask her for permission. You can’t use the findings if she hasn’t signed a consent form.
If she agrees, and she’d ideally have no reason not to, ask to see a driver’s license, an ID card, or another state-issued photo ID. A green card or a passport will work too. She needs a clean driving record if she’ll be driving your child. Ask your state’s DMV to verify her license and insurance to get proof of this.
Get It In Writing
Write down her first and last name, date of birth, address, SSN, and phone number. You could contact the state board or another relevant institution to ask about licensing.
If you don’t have enough time to do a background check, plenty of organizations can help you. A proper check includes screening for a criminal record. Usually, the police or justice department won’t give civilians access to these records. The check’s subject must permit them to release her record publicly.
If done properly, a background check can help make sure your decision is in your child’s best interests.
Final Thoughts
All that’s left now is to wait for the results. It’s not advisable to turn someone down based on an online people search. If you find information that worries you, talk about it with the candidate. It might be inaccurate, for one. Online records aren’t 100% reliable. Maybe she made a mistake and learned from it. Don’t jump to conclusions.
