It is unfortunate but there are times when a family in which both parents work may have to contact a nanny agency in order to make childcare arrangements for when they are not at home to care for their children. This is even more of a reality for single parents, as they may have to consider hiring a live in or live out nanny if they do not have friends or family members who can watch their children while they are at work.

If you are considering the possibility of hiring a professional nanny, then the first thing you want to do is locate an appropriate agency. There are several questions that you may want to ask or things you may want to look for before deciding which agency to use. For instance, when you call a placement agency, does a live person answer the phone, or do you have to leave a message on an answering machine? This can be important if you hire a nanny and you have a problem with the services provided and need to speak with someone right away.

Be sure you ask the nanny agency what type of screening process they use before they even send you a candidate to interview. You do not want to have any unscreened candidates coming to your home to apply for a nanny live in or live out position. Find out what type of contract they offer and be sure it is clear about any type or refund and/or replacement policies they may have.

Also, be sure to ask the nanny service how their interviews with the nannies are conducted. It has been recommended by the International Nanny Association that a nanny placement agency conduct their interviews in person; if this is not done then they should tell the client exactly how the interview was done, i.e., by an agent acting on behalf of the agency, by telephone, etc.

In your nanny search, you may feel better about hiring a candidate from an agency that has been in business for awhile, so be sure to ask them how long they have been in business. Also, the International Nanny Association recommends that at least two references should be checked by the nanny agency on all potential employees. They should also disclose to you all of the information that they have been given on the candidate through both personal and professional references that they have spoken with, so be sure to ask how many they checks where done and get the results of each.

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