What is a nanny?

A nanny is an in-home childcare professional whose primary responsibility is the care and well-being of your child.

What does a nanny do?

A nanny is responsible for providing a safe environment for children – either solely while the parent is away or as an assistant to the parent. Nannies address the physical, emotional, social and intellectual needs of a child, while maintaining good communication with parents at all times. Although responsibilities of nannies vary based on the family’s requirements, some might include transportation and carpooling, homework assistance, preparation of nutritious meals and snacks, light housekeeping and laundry.

What are the benefits of hiring a nanny versus other forms of child care?

For parents, there is more control over the choice of the primary caregiver. The more personal connection to the caregiver enables parents to have more input into the care giving style. Additionally, there are lower turnover ratios with nannies. For the child, nannies provide daily individual and consistent attention. And when a child is not exposed to a daycare-type setting, there are fewer colds and illnesses.

Where does Family Solutions find qualified candidates?

We engage in an on-going recruiting program for qualified nannies. Many nannies find us through word of mouth from nannies we have successfully placed or through families we have worked with. Others find us through the Internet, our Yellow Pages ad or other advertising that runs periodically in local publications.

What kind of experience do Family Solutions nannies have?

Our nannies possess a wide range of experience. Many have completed formal child care courses through a nanny training school or community college while others have raised their own children to adulthood, bringing many years of on-the-job training to the profession. Some of our nannies also have teaching backgrounds.

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What is the Family Solutions process for placing a nanny?

Families first complete an application and sign a Services Agreement. A Family Solutions representative will then schedule an in-home meeting with you prior to the nanny search to discuss your child(ren)’s needs, the employment contracts, interviewing techniques and establishing a relationship with your nanny.

Once these steps are complete, Family Solutions will begin sending nanny profiles to the family who will then schedule their own interviews. Once a decision has been made on a candidate, the family can extend an offer.

Please allow four to six weeks to complete the process, especially if you are a first-time nanny employer.

How are the nanny candidates screened?

An initial screening is conducted over the phone to consider whether the applicant meets the basic requirements. Once the initial screening is complete, an extensive application is completed along with a personal interview. After the interview, childcare, character and employment references are checked and verified. A profile is then completed for a family’s review and background checks are completed.

What background checks are completed by Family Solutions?

Our standard background checks include a social security confirmation and trace that identifies previous addresses. Other searches include criminal background, driving records, credit checks, and a search of the Virginia Department of Social Services Central Registry for founded child abuse and neglect.

What are competitive salary and benefit packages in the Richmond metropolitan area?

Competitive compensation varies upon a nanny’s experience, the duties involved and number of hours required by the position. Typically, summer nannies earn $9 to $11 an hour, while part-time nannies earn $10 to $13 an hour. Generally, full-time nannies working 35+ hours a week earn $400 to $600+ per week. Most live-in nannies earn less per week as the families are providing room and board. Families offer a variety of employment benefits including paid vacation, holidays, sick and/or personal days. Other benefits might include paid (or partially paid) health insurance, mileage reimbursement and add-on membership to local health/recreation clubs or museums.

What are the tax implications of employing a nanny?

We recommend contacting a tax advisor who can answer questions relating to your individual tax situation when becoming an employer. Two national tax firms specializing in household employer taxes available to assist you in this area include:

Breedlove & Associates
GTM Associates

What if it doesn’t work out?

Occasionally a placement doesn’t work out as expected. Should this happen within the first 60 days of employment, we will work to replace that nanny at no additional charge to the family. The Family Solutions Services Agreement provides additional employment details.


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Why Family Solutions?

• We value your time and will be selective about which nannies will be sent to you. Through our thorough needs assessment, we are better able to choose only those candidates that meet your full requirements.
  
  
• We are always available. Throughout the search and hiring process, we are available to answer questions and offer guidance in negotiating terms and contracts.
  
  
• We have a successful track record. Since 1999, Family Solutions has been successfully placing nannies and other caregivers. Many of our clients locate us through families who have had a great experience in working with us.
  
  
• We are local, which allows us to meet face to face with our clients prior to beginning the search process, enhancing our ability to find the perfect nanny for your family. We are involved in the local community, including The Nanny Network of Richmond.
  

Family Solutions will maintain all personal information, which will be kept completely confidential and will not be provided directly to nanny candidates. The family decides what information is to be shared with the nanny.