Monday Mailbag
Every Monday, we will feature a question from our mailbox. These questions are from parents and those working with children and families, or they could be from other readers about other topics.
Q: We are exploring options for childcare, and are interested in hiring a nanny. How safe are online sites to find nannies?
A: Thanks for your question. Online sites are a great way to find nannies-I was hired by three families using online sites and all three jobs were a good fit for both myself and the family. There are well qualified, educated and experienced nannies found online, however, there are risks:
1. Online sites are open to any candidate, regardless of experience, and offer little to no screening process the way nanny placement agencies do.
2. When a family signs up with an online site, it's free. A family can browse candidate profiles with a membership. If a family is interested in a candidate, the family has to pay to upgrade their profile to exchange messages with candidates. This results in a recurring charge for the family. That being said, some of the candidates found on online sites may be fake profiles created by the site used to get families to upgrade their membership. It's one way online sites make their money.
3. News stories have proven that online sites do not provide background checks: there have been stories of nannies hired from online sites that have stolen from their employers. A story of a WI family who hired someone online to care for their infant resulted in the infant dying at the hands of the nanny, who was drunk. Online sites state they conduct appropriate checks, however, the WI family found out otherwise. This is the second way online sites make money.
A word of caution: do research. Review news stories regarding families hiring online, and review customer complaints. Use your own judgement and be prepared when starting the hiring process. Starting the hiring process with a plan is better than hiring someone with no plan at all.
Got a parenting or child development related question? Are you a professional who works with children and families and have a question? Beauty question? Send all questions to creativenannysolutions9@gmail.com
Q: We are exploring options for childcare, and are interested in hiring a nanny. How safe are online sites to find nannies?
A: Thanks for your question. Online sites are a great way to find nannies-I was hired by three families using online sites and all three jobs were a good fit for both myself and the family. There are well qualified, educated and experienced nannies found online, however, there are risks:
1. Online sites are open to any candidate, regardless of experience, and offer little to no screening process the way nanny placement agencies do.
2. When a family signs up with an online site, it's free. A family can browse candidate profiles with a membership. If a family is interested in a candidate, the family has to pay to upgrade their profile to exchange messages with candidates. This results in a recurring charge for the family. That being said, some of the candidates found on online sites may be fake profiles created by the site used to get families to upgrade their membership. It's one way online sites make their money.
3. News stories have proven that online sites do not provide background checks: there have been stories of nannies hired from online sites that have stolen from their employers. A story of a WI family who hired someone online to care for their infant resulted in the infant dying at the hands of the nanny, who was drunk. Online sites state they conduct appropriate checks, however, the WI family found out otherwise. This is the second way online sites make money.
A word of caution: do research. Review news stories regarding families hiring online, and review customer complaints. Use your own judgement and be prepared when starting the hiring process. Starting the hiring process with a plan is better than hiring someone with no plan at all.
Got a parenting or child development related question? Are you a professional who works with children and families and have a question? Beauty question? Send all questions to creativenannysolutions9@gmail.com
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