Find a Nanny in Atlanta
A nanny cares for your child by protecting, playing with, and taking care of her while you are occupied with other things. In addition, your nanny may perform light child-related housekeeping duties such as washing diapers, preparing baby-food, or cleaning your child's room. Finding a nanny in Atlanta involves deciding what responsibilities you want the nanny to take on; determining how many hours per week you need her; deciding whether you want her to live with you or on her own, or whether you want to drop your child off at her home; contacting a number of nannies through an agency and checking their credentials and references; and finally, interviewing her and introducing her to your child to see if it clicks. The following steps will show you how to find a nanny in Atlanta.
Steps
- Decide what types of responsibilities you want the nanny to take on.
- Some nannies only take care of infants, while others also take care of the older children of the household.
- You can contract a nanny to take on certain household duties along with childcare, making her a mother-helper.
- In some cases, a nanny acts as a "governess" and provides some forms of light instruction to young children.
- Determine how many hours per week you need the nanny.
- You can have a full-time nanny, who takes care of your child during designated working hours that should amount to no more than a standard working week.
- There are also nannies who only work part-time, filling in for the parents when they are at work or otherwise occupied.
- Decide whether the nanny will live with you or elsewhere, and where the childcare will primarily take place.
- Many nannies work at the family's home. Some, most notably au-pairs (foreign nannies, typically students doing an exchange for a year), live in the home.
- Nannies can also live elsewhere and come to the house during working hours.
- In some cases, nannies provide the location for the childcare, typically in a home nursery or other approved setting.
- Search for a nanny.
- Find a trustworthy Internet site, like eNanny, that helps you find a qualified nanny in the vicinity of Atlanta. However, you will have to draw up your own employment contract once you have found a nanny, as this site doesn't provide them.
- A very trustworthy method is to work with the International Nanny Agency. This is an international agency that provides everything from guidelines and education information to Nanny Placement Agencies and employers' with packages, rates and contracts.
- Classifieds in local print or online publications that cater to Atlanta such as Atlanta.com and Accessatlanta.com are another option to find a nanny in your area.
- Contact local nanny agencies, such as Nanny Poppinz or the Lindquist Group.
- Quality Care for Children offers informational and educational and support services to nannies and parents in Georgia, and helps with placements.
- You can also ask your friends and family to recommend a nanny.
- Contact the Career Services center at universities and colleges in Atlanta. Students studying Early Education or related fields at Georgia State University, for example, may be interested in working as a nanny to gain experience with children while getting their degree.
- Consider nannies that are part of a professional organization. Organizations like Metro Atlanta Nannies provide support and educational opportunities for their members, which will benefit your children.
- Review all candidate applications carefully.
- Select a few who appear to be pleasant, experienced and trustworthy.
- Check credentials and references.
- If they say they have completed a degree at a certain educational institute, contact that institute to verify.
- Contact all references to ask them for professional and character references.
- Interview those that seem like a good match.
- Ask about motivation, availability, and problem solving skills.
- If your child has any health or behavioral issues, ask the nanny how she would handle that.
- Find out if she is willing to meet your requirements in terms of hours, location, and responsibilities.
- Introduce the nanny to your child.
- Set aside between an hour and an afternoon for your child to meet the nanny. Let them meet in a relaxed setting, for example the toy corner at home or in the park.
- Observe their interaction. See how your child reacts and whether she is comfortable around the nanny.
- Offer the nanny an employment contract.
- If the nanny is a good match for your family's needs, offer her an employment contract.
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