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Home › Articles › Child Care › Nanny Know-How

Nanny Know-How

Choosing In-Home Childcare

By Melissa Granberry

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You have weighed the pros and cons of in-home childcare and decided it is the right option for you. Now what? "Look carefully at your unique situation," says Christine D'Amico, co-author of The Pregnant Woman's Companion (Attitude Press, Inc., 2002) and mother of two.

Prepare a job description that is tailored for your family. Make it clear what hours the nanny will work, what the salary will be and what duties the nanny will have with the child and around the house. Will the nanny need to drive the children to classes? Will she be responsible for grocery shopping or laundry? Will she need to schedule play dates or take the children to the park?

Look Out
Now that you know what you want, where do you look? D'Amico gives the following tips for finding someone to fit your needs:

  • Ask around with neighbors and friends – referrals are one of the best ways to secure childcare.
  • Place an ad in the local college newspaper or place a posting on the college's job board.
  • Use an agency to locate and screen sitters for you. (You may even want to screen the agency by checking their history with the Better Business Bureau).
  • Look at live-in options, such as au pairs or college students needing a place to live in exchange for childcare services.
  • Look for opportunities to share a sitter with another family. Thesitter will like it because the pay will be more per hour, and both families will get their childcare needs met. It can be fun for the kids to have playmates during their time with the sitter.

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