Whether you work full-time or part-time, having an extra set of hands to help with taking care of your kids can go a long way in improving the quality of your life. It can allow you to take much-needed breaks. It can also enhance the quality of care your children receive, especially when you hire trained nannies.
Finding the right nanny can be challenging. The process of interviewing and vetting them is also tedious. Nanny placement agencies step in to make the entire process smooth and stress-free.
What Do Full-Service Nanny Placement Agencies Do?
Full-service nanny agencies take all the tediousness and uncertainty in the nanny hiring process. They do so by:
- actively sourcing potential candidates by creating a job description and pushing it through their networks
- making sure that all potential candidates meet all the requirements allowing them to work
- vetting candidates profiles
- asking for and checking the references of potential nannies
- doing extensive background checks on all the childcare providers working under them
- assessing your childcare needs
- matching you with the ideal nanny, and
- taking an active part in helping you negotiate and execute a contract with your nanny.
How Much are Nanny Agency Fees?
If you get your nanny from a placement agency, you will need to pay your nanny and the agency. The following are some of the fees that you are likely to incur.
Referral fees
Most agencies charge a non-refundable referral fee. This fee is required before they start looking for a nanny. It typically ranges between $250 and $500.
Temporary care fees
If you need a temporary nanny, you will pay the agency a nanny search fee. And once you hire the nanny, you may be required to pay a daily fee. The price can range from $15 to $20 per day. As for the initial search fee, you may spend about $300.
Placement fees
After the nanny placement service finds a nanny for you, they will require you to pay them a placement fee. The placement fees can be a flat rate whereby an agency charges the same, regardless of whether the nanny is full-time or part-time. However, some agencies charge a higher rate for long-term placements and full-time nannies.
The fees can also be a percentage of the nanny’s yearly salary. Most agencies’ standard rate ranges between 10 and 15% of the nanny’s annual salary.
For agencies that charge a flat fee, their placement fees tend to range between $3,000 and $4,500.
Yearly membership fee
For people who need occasional backup care or babysitting services, most agencies require them to pay a membership fee. A membership fee is also an option for people who regularly use an agency’s services.
The membership fee for most nanny placement agencies is about $300.
Screening fees
Some nanny agencies offer screening services. These services are beneficial in cases where you already have a nanny but need an agency’s help screening them. The nanny agency will charge you depending on what you need them to do.
If you need a standard background check, they will charge you about $60. Advanced or premium background checks will cost about five times the price of a standard one. And if you also need them to perform a drug test, they will charge you about $50.
Extra expenses
You will also have to take care of any expenses incurred by the nanny while carrying out their duties. If the nanny takes care of these expenses, you will have to reimburse them because of the reimbursement clauses in most standard nanny contracts.
In addition to reimbursing the nanny for expenses, you may sometimes also be charged extra fees in case of a cancellation.
How Can I Find a Nanny Agency?
The best way to find a good nanny agency is to ask your friends, relatives, and neighbors for referrals. However, if you don’t have anyone to ask, you should search for them online.
Finding an agency online
The easiest way to find an agency is to search online.
Use a search engine
Typing the term “nanny agencies near me” will yield a list of agencies near you. Create a list from these search results and then start contacting them. Once you are done, you can book an appointment with them.
Schedule a consultation
Once you have found a reputable agency, book an appointment. The consultation can be via the phone, video-conferencing, or in person.
The goal of the consultation is to find out more about the agency, their track record, and whether they can find a nanny who can meet your family’s needs.
When booking a consultation, you should keep in mind that some agencies charge a consultation fee. These fees can be as high as $500. Therefore, if you are still shopping around, you should restrict yourself to agencies that offer free consultations.
Sign a contract
If they meet your expectations, you can then proceed to sign an industry-standard contract that allows them to begin the process of finding you a suitable nanny for your family.
How do Nanny Agencies Make Money?
Agencies make money by charging consultation, membership, and placement fees. Some agencies also get extra cash from offering screening and drug testing services.
How profitable is a nanny agency?
A nanny referral agency can easily make up to $60,000 annually. Assuming that the agency charges a referral fee of about $1,500 per client, they only need to place an average of 4 clients per month. With estimated annual costs of about $12,000, this is doable.
However, how much an agency makes depends mainly on their location, how many nannies they place, how much they charge for placements and their operational costs.
Nanny Agency Fees and FAQS
How much do you pay a nanny?
While the actual hourly wage of a nanny will vary depending on their experience, educational background, and the scope of their responsibilities, it typically ranges between $20 to $25 per hour.
Do nanny placement agencies charge fees based on a percentage of salary?
Yes, most agencies charge between 15 and 20% of what the nanny earns annually. Therefore, they tend to get paid based on what you will pay the nanny. However, some agencies shy away from the percentage model. These agencies charge a flat rate that doesn’t vary depending on the nanny’s annual salary.
Where do nanny placement agencies find nannies?
Nannies often approach placement agencies. They may do so after the agency advertises their need for nannies on college job boards. Some may also find them through their websites. Others find them through referrals.
Agencies also carry out social media campaigns. They can refine their targeting to solicit applications from local parent groups and other nanny networks. Other times, they get recommended through word of mouth.
How do agencies screen nannies?
They usually screen nanny candidates by interviewing them. The agency evaluates their communication skills, caregiver approach to childcare, and overall skills through these interviews. In addition to personal interviews, they also require some childcare qualifications.
A good agency will not limit itself to relying on the candidate’s information. It will background check potential hires, confirm references, and inquire about their childcare professional experience.
Do nanny placement agencies allow you to interview multiple nannies?
Yes, most reputable agencies will present you with a selection of vetted nannies. You can typically expect to interview between two to four nannies. However, they might do an excellent job finding you a perfect fit that you won’t need to interview multiple candidates.
If you need to learn more about finding the right nanny for your loved ones, check out these resources.
