A nanny share is when two families engage the services of a single
nanny to care for both families' children. Nanny sharing is a creative
way to save money and still have a professional in home childcare
provider. With child care often being the second largest monthly
expense, your mortgage being the first, families find sharing a nanny to
be a great solution. It is a common misconception that having a full
time professional nanny is out of a family's budget, but sharing, lowers
the average costs to $300-$450 a week per family. Although this sounds
great, it is easier said than done! Nanny Shares have many pros and
cons, and only you can determine if it is the right choice for your
family.
First
step: Finding the right family to work with! Just like having to
interview nannies you will have to interview families first. Here are
some things you need to consider:
1. Age of the children - It is
probably better to have children close in age so they can play together
and become friends, but think about the pros and cons of having multiple
children the same or similar age or the opposite.
2. Values - How
much is the other family looking to spend on a nanny? What benefits are
they willing to offer? You would be surprised at how families differ on
the subject.
3. Parenting Philosophy - How do you want the
children disciplined? What does your child like to eat and what does
their child like to eat? Does one of the children have a food allergy?
What are your rules regarding television? The families must agree on
these items - different rules for children being cared for together is
not possible.
4. Scheduling - How often do either of the families
require a nanny? If your schedules do not coordinate, how is this going
to impact you? How often does each family go on vacation? How is the
nanny compensated when only one family is using her? Timing is
everything.
5. Activities - Do both families allow the nanny to
take their children on outings to the zoo or parks? You would be
surprised at how many families do not want the nanny to take the child
out. You must consider how this will affect your day.
Second Step:
Once you have found a possible family you would like to share a nanny
with you still need to think about the following:
1. The Nanny
Search - Both families should get together and write a job description,
work agreement and qualities they are looking for in a nanny. They
should agree on how the nanny search will be executed and determine
responsibilities for each step of the way. If an agency is used: the fee
amount, who pays it, and any fee-splitting arrangements should be in
writing. If an agency is not being used, make sure you agree on a
process for screening, background checking and reference checking.
During the interview process, the nanny should have the opportunity to
meet all parties before accepting the position.
2. Where will the
care be given? - some families rotate; others use only one home. If care
will not be given in each family's home, consideration should be given
to the wear and tear which will occur in the home where the care is
given.
* Is that home maintained and clean to the satisfaction of both families?
* Is the home child proofed?
* Are there pets in the home? What care must be taken to protect all children?
* Who will be responsible for supplying the toys and replacing broken ones?
* What about meals which the children and caregiver will be eating during the day - who will provide the food and pay for it?
3.
Salary - When a nanny is hired by 2 families her salary is usually
higher due to the more complex situation, but when split between two
families will still result in a big cost savings. Consider what happens
if there are days where one family's children are not being cared for -
is the same salary to be paid or is a lower hourly rate ok? The same
salary is recommended, but this must be worked out ahead of time.
Families and the nanny should coordinate the withholding of payroll
taxes and consult a payroll company (GTM) or accountant to find out how
to handle this appropriately.
4. Benefits - What benefits will you
offer your nanny? How do you plan to coordinate vacations? If the host
family is vacationing, will the nanny be required to go to the other
family's home? Full time nannies expect to receive weekly pay for every
week of the year, even if a family does not need her care on any
particular day or week. Typical benefits include paid federal holidays
and 1-2 weeks of paid vacation.
5. Illnesses - It is important to
work out what happens when the children are sick. It will be possible
that the sick child will be living at the home where the care is being
provided that day. Will the care be given at the other home that
particular day?
6. Communication - Open lines of communication are
very important. Both families and the nanny should be comfortable in
bringing up any issues that might arise. Make it a point to check in
once a month and give regular reviews to your nanny.
7. Contracts -
Both families should have a contract not only with the nanny but each
other. This should cover all the details like salary, benefits etc, but
also what happens if one family wants out of the share. Always discuss an
exit strategy, including what the rights and obligations of each family
are, when the relationship ends.
Pros:
* More personalized attention than a day care and for less money
* Additional duties can be done like light housekeeping and laundry
Cons:
* It is very difficult for two families to find a nanny they agree on
* There is the risk of being left with a nanny who was hired for a certain salary
Sharing
a nanny can be the best of both worlds or more trouble than it is
worth. Evaluate your personal goals and what you want to get out of your
childcare provider. Can your provider meet your goals while caring for
other children? After weighing the pros and cons you will be able to
determine if this is the right avenue for you.
Jobs and benefits usually get lost in the mix when it comes to
sharing a nanny, but Steve Krex said it best, "Help Me - Help You" and
find out your benefits with several Nanny Jobs available to you by contacting the Chicago Nanny Agency.
Article Source:
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