Parent Time

Kate Wise and Simon Temple* needed a nanny soon after their son was born in 2003. Kate runs a small business in Toronto and, two weeks before a crucial deal would demand her full attention, they finally succeeded in lining up a caregiver. “She seemed extremely nice,” Simon says. But after accepting the job, she just dropped out of sight. “We had to practically stalk her to find out if she was still interested.” She wasn’t.

For parents who decide a nanny is right for their family, finding and training the right person is a big job. Here’s a step-by-step guide, with tips to navigate the process toward a happy conclusion.

Getting started
Ideally, give yourself plenty of time. If you plan to hire from abroad, line up an agency at least four months before you require care, says Jana McDermott, president of Vancouver-based ABC Nannies Canada. Hiring locally may not take quite that long, but Marna Martin, president of Trafalgar Personnel in Oakville, Ont., recommends giving yourself as much time as possible.

The first step is assessing your family’s needs. Do you work long hours and demand flexibility with your schedule? Are you looking for a child educator or a nanny who also does housekeeping? Does she need a driver’s licence to ferry your kids to school and other activities? Michelle Zeitler of Nannies on Call in Vancouver cautions parents about possible preconceptions: “A lot of people imagine employing the grandmother type, but come to realize they need a younger, more active person.”

How much do the nanny’s language skills matter? “If children are in the English-language training stages, it’s really important because she is with them for most of their waking hours,” says Martin.

Originally published in Today's Parent, June 2005