Interviewing Nannies

Nannies are often hired for a longer or live-in basis, and they may have more required of them than a babysitter. If you are looking to hire a nanny, here are more questions to ask on top of the suggestions offered in Interviewing Care Providers 101.

Background and Experience

• Do you belong to a nanny agency?
• What special training have you received?
• Do you have a driver???s license, and are you comfortable driving the children? Do you have any violations on your driving record?
• What activities have you done with children of these ages in the past?

Specific Expectations

• How will you help my child develop good social skills?
• Are you willing to also care for friends of our children who are invited to our home?
• Are you willing to bring my children to their own play dates and activities?
• Describe what a typical day would be like for children of this age.
• In what situations would you allow the children to play unsupervised?
• Do you have any worries regarding the time commitment?
• Will you need any time off?

It???s also important to make sure that your nanny is eligible to work in the United States. This requires her having valid documents, such as a Social Security card, passport, green card, or visa. You should obtain an I-9 form from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in order to verify her work eligibility. You will also have to pay her Social Security taxes and obtain federal and state employer identification numbers, which you can find at the Internal Revenue Service web site. You can read more about this in Money 101 for Parents.

Remember that many nannies will become surrogate family members. Not only should you ask questions regarding your potential nanny???s experience and skills, but get to know her on a personal level. Have your family spend time with her to make sure there aren???t any major personality clashes. If you have concerns about cultural differences, the only way to address them is to be upfront and talk to your nanny. If you don???t think a candidate is the right fit, that???s OK. You may have to interview a handful of nannies before finding the right one, but doing so is definitely worth the time and effort.