How To Avoid Your Own Childcare Nightmare

Dominating childcare news lately is the unenviable "Nightmare Nanny" story of the Bracamonte family, who hired and promptly fired a live-in nanny only to find themselves up to their ears in eviction proceedings and facing a wrongful termination lawsuit. The family was additionally left with an unwelcome houseguest as the nanny refused to leave their home.

This unfortunate story highlights one of the many possible pitfalls of searching for childcare without the help of a third-party resource, such as a professional nanny or au pair agency. An agency provides families with a higher level of screening, a second set of eyes throughout the process, and will increase your chances of finding a nurturing childcare provider for your little one. Additionally, an agency ensures that a safety net of resources will be in place if the match doesn’t work out as planned.

Regardless of whether you select an agency to help you find a suitable caregiver or you go through the process on your own, there are certain steps that all families should know and follow when looking for a childcare provider:

• Always be sure to interview the potential candidate more than once and include behavioral interview questions (Example: Tell me about a time when you were taking care of a child who wasn't following your instructions. What did you do?)
• Make sure they have relevant experience working with the same age group as your children
• Ask what the candidate likes about working with children to understand their intentions
• Write up a clear job description and find out what the candidate expects of the job so that you are on the same page

Some warning signs include:

• Suspicious findings when conducting a criminal background check
• A person with limited experience in areas important to your family
• Someone who has an inconsistent employment history
• Someone who is not forthcoming with references, or who does not have any references
• Someone who does not have the same expectations of the position that you have

By conducting detailed interviews, taking note of warning signs and considering enlisting an agency in your childcare search, you will increase the likelihood of having a positive experience with your little one’s caregiver.