10 Characteristics of Full-Time Nanny Agencies

Full-time nanny agencies tend to take their roles in children’s lives very seriously. When applying for a job with one, there are certain characteristics that prospective nanny should expect.

1. The Full-Time Nanny Agency is the Children’s Advocate - The ideal full-time nanny agency should be expected to place the children’s interests first, at all times. It can be viewed as the children’s advocate and all actions it takes should bear its responsibility toward a family’s children before all other things.
2. No Nonsense - The full-time nanny agency is not in the business of supplying inferior nannies to families. The best agencies will have scrupulous screening processes in place and will utilize them for making sure any candidate that is placed with a family is the best one.
3. Responsibility - A full-time nanny agency should accept responsibility for each nanny it places with a family. It should be expected to make certain that each nanny’s affairs are in order, that she is legal and that she has a verifiable, flawless work history.
4. Bonded and Insured - An important characteristic of a full-time nanny agency is that it will have appropriate insurance, both for the protection of the families with which it works, as well as for the protection of the nannies whom it represents.
5. Reputation - The ideal full-time nanny agency will have a stellar reputation that has been built on reliable service and a history of satisfied customers and happy nannies.
6. Good matches - An agency should be characterized by its ability to make compatible matches between nannies and families, making note of similarities in personal values, philosophies about child rearing and other general aspects.
7. Emergencies - The agency should be prepared, at all times, for any type of emergency that might involve replacing one nanny with another, or for negotiating any unexpected disputes that might arise between nanny and family.
8. Taxes and other legal matters - The ideal full-time nanny agency should be up-to-date on all tax implications for both the nannies and the families with whom they are placed. This is especially true of the nanny who is from a foreign country. The agency will also make sure that all immigration papers and other legal matters are in order for the nanny to do her job without legal complications.
9. Value - The perfect full-time nanny agency should provide nannies for families at reasonable rates, paying attention to both the financial circumstances of the families and protecting the best interests of the nannies. The fees charged by the agency should be reasonable and with a view toward providing the best connections at the best rates.
10. Benefits - Any full-time nanny agency realizes that when the nanny is happy, she will be more likely to provide optimum services to the family. Therefore, the agency will provide reasonable and advantageous benefits for the nanny as incentive to do a good job.

Full-time nanny agencies are not all alike. The best ones will have the 10 characteristics listed above and will do their best to please both nannies and families alike.