One great resource to help you hire a nanny is the nanny placement agency. This type of company offers professional services in helping you find the nanny you need. They will have a database of nannies and assist you through finding the one that meets your custom requirements. There are a few pros and cons about hiring a nanny agency and here are some of the important aspects of this process.

• Finding a top nanny agency

Just within any other business field, some companies will be better than others. To ensure you receive the best services, make sure you search for each nanny agency’s reviews, and ratings. Top nanny agencies might charge you higher rates, but they will also provide you with higher value service.

The Association of Premier Nanny Agencies (APNA) is a voluntary membership organization that establishes and enforces standards of professional practices within the “nanny industry”. Their members have to comply with their standard requirements. You can use them as a resource to identify whether your nanny agency qualifies as a “premier nanny agency”.

• The benefits of contacting a nanny agency

Contacting a nanny agency saves you the effort and time you would put in searching for a nanny, interviewing candidates, and reviewing their background and qualifications. They will also help monitor the nanny’s performance after having hired her and assist your with any legal issues regarding drawing up a custom nanny contract, nanny payroll and nanny taxes.

• Important screening services

Nanny agencies have devised a complex screening process to insure they will match you with the best qualified nanny. The process consists of looking up all the references a nanny has, interviewing previous families and thus making sure the company has a clear record of her performance on previous nanny jobs.
They will also do a thorough background check; review the nanny’s criminal record, driving record, credit history and many more. Moreover, the agency will also make sure each applicant meets the federal work eligibility laws and also immigration laws. After passing all these requirements, the agencies consider an applicant a certified nanny, able to be referred to any family.

• Legal benefits

Each agency will provide you with assistance in drawing up a custom nanny contract that will ensure you have all the legal terms well defined, and in case of any contract violations, you can hold the nanny liable for any violation of her duties. A nanny agency can also assist you with filling nanny taxes and also managing nanny payroll.