Dedicated Domestics Weblog

First remember that most but not all household employees are looking for full time work.  Some will be willing to work for two days with one family and three days with another, while others prefer to work full time for one family.  The more challenging the schedule the more difficult it will be to find someone to fill your position.  Just like any other field, it is customary for nannies to request a premium or higher salary to work odd hours.  Sometimes, we have found that a family can hire a full time nanny for only slightly more than an odd schedule might cost.  It really does pay to think through your needs carefully since hiring around a standard schedule can give you greater flexibility at home, increase your selection of nannies and sometimes even save you some money.   For example at Dedicated Domestics we had a request from a family for an almost full time nanny to work 8 hours per day on Mondays and Thursdays and 6 hours per day on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and 4 hours on Friday.  Due to the two six and one 4 hour days, the nanny knew she could not fill in her week with another job so she requested a premium of just $3.00 an hour more to compensate for the odd schedule.  Based on her experience and what the family was expecting her to do, the nanny would have charged $600.00 for a standard 40 hour work week which is $15.00 per hour.  The schedule that the family wanted worked out to 32 hours at $18.00 (with the $3.00 premium) or $574.00 per week.  After we spoke with both the nanny and the family, they agreed on $600.00 a week for a simple 40 hour schedule.  For just $26.00 per week more the family now has extra help and flexibility when they need it and the nanny is more comfortable with the full time salary.  It is good to remember that while the cost of gas has gone up dramatically over the past year a small increase in a full time schedule will cover the higher prices.  But, when a part-time employee is working only 4 hours with one family and then commutes to another family for 4 more hours the gas cost doubles and will represent a larger part of their salary.  The agency you work with should be able to steer you in the right direction so you get the best value for your money.

By now most of you have read the front page story that appeared in “The Orange County Register” last Friday, February 22, 2008.  For those who haven’t read the article, it talked about the recent death of a 6-month old infant and the previous death of another child in the same Laguna Hills house where the owner was operating a Day-care facility.  When stories like this develop, questions begin to rise about all types of child-care including nannies and babysitters.  Personally, we feel the more questions the better.  Parents should not entrust their children to the care of anyone unless they have been thoroughly screened and you feel comfortable that every precaution is being taken to protect your children.    Remember that accidents will happen whether someone else is watching your child or you are watching them yourself.  But, many accidents can be prevented or at least the severity reduced if parents and caregivers followed basic safety guidelines.  This is why at Dedicated Domestics we make time to meet every applicant personally and take so many precautions to find the most qualified caregivers available. We also insist that every nanny, babysitter, mother’s helper and caregiver take an approved CPR class before starting work.  Not every agency insists on certification and for some the courses are not nationally recognized. 

The biggest issue with the day-care facility mentioned in the article, was that it had several complaints over the years and families did not take the time to check them out.  We all assume the government agencies are doing their jobs, but there isn’t enough time or manpower for them to follow up on every facility.  Whether you choose to hire a nanny or use a day-care center, remember the safety of your child is at stake and if you are not comfortable don’t leave your child.  In the case of the day-care facility they had 20 prior complaints and still nothing was done.  If you have the luxury of being able to afford a nanny, then you can take action immediately if you believe the situation calls for it. 

Dedicated Domestics is a modern company with old fashioned ethics.  Just as we will not work with an applicant that we would not feel comfortable hiring ourselves to help our family, we also would not expect the families that we work with to leave their children with anyone they do not feel comfortable with.

With so many titles how does a Mom know who to pick for what?  Over the years many people doing similar jobs have been labeled with so many different job titles that even the industry has difficulty making a distinction between some positions.   All of the positions involving the care of children can and often is referred to as simply “child caregivers”.  But most families will request the services of a Babysitter or Nanny.  The two titles are so intertwined that most families, caregivers and even agencies have been using the terms interchangeably. 

In general a Babysitter is a person that is hired for a temporary situation, like having someone watch your child on Saturday night so you can go out.  Whereas, a Nanny is the title used most frequently when wanting to hire a person for full or part time child care so you might go back to work.  The title Mothers’ helper is much easier to understand since as the name implies, it usually will refer to a person who is helping mom take care of her kids while she is around.  Many times “stay at home moms” with multiple children have found that a little extra help can be very useful.  While occasionally a Mothers’ helper might watch the children for short periods of time, their job is mainly to provide additional support for a mom.  Mothers’ helpers tend to be entry level positions or positions for a person that prefers not to have all of the responsibility themselves. 

Another title that is often overlooked in the United States but is still very important around the world is a Governess.  Generally, a Governess will be equivalent to a private teacher.  They will usually have the added responsibility of etiquette training as well. 

While Nannies remain the most flexible of titles the important part is determining what your family needs and not being as concerned with the title.  While some Nannies are college educated with teaching credentials others may barely speak English but have many years of experience handling young children.  It is important to remember that a Nanny is not a replacement for a Mom.  A Nanny with teaching credentials might be perfect for helping with homework or for home schooling but they generally will not help with housekeeping too.  Then there are some Nannies that have little formal education but have a wonderful way with kids.  Some Nannies may also specialize in newborn or infant care.  While other Nannies will prepare dinners for the whole family but may not be able to drive. 

There are way too many possible areas that a Nanny can help a family with to list here.  The most important item of course is peace of mind.  Whatever your needs are, never hire anyone that you do not feel comfortable with.  Since you and your family will be working closely with the caregiver and you will entrust them with the care of your son or daughter, you need to know that you can trust and rely on the person you choose above all else.

Welcome to Dedicated Domestics Weblog.

As our agency has grown we want to share our knowledge of the in-home staffing industry with all of you.  Families hiring for the first time and professional Estate Managers seeking additional staff all want to find the best candidates that will fit their individual needs.  Of course, candidates are also looking to match up their skills with a family that will respect them and treat them fairly.  By working with an agency that takes the time to understand the individual needs of both parties, the quality of care and the length of service are dramatically improved.  The right care can give you and your family the peace of mind that you need to tackle life’s other little obstacles.