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The basic mission of all agencies is to recruit nannies and families, and to match one to the other for a fee. It can be brand new or decades old, a one-person operation or a thoroughly staffed office. In the set up of a modern nanny placement service the family, not the nanny, pays the placement fee. Not all nanny agencies are created alike. Many trustworthy agencies have been serving clients for years, are active in professional and trade associations. These agencies are those that truly go all-out to make the best match for your family. Some are well-meaning but plainly inexperienced or lacking the resources to effectively meet your requirements. A small number are simply interested in the bottom line – move them in, move them out. Parents must be keen on choosing the agency to retain. This goes true for aspirant nannies also.

A good nanny agency saves both your time and the nanny’s. It should also treat both parties equally since both are clients in such a way that without one, it will not have the other. There are several things that the clients must know about the agency that they are planning to keep. These maybe basic information but such will be the key in achieving both clients’ goals respectively.

First, do find out how long the agency has been running. If so, know if they are a member of associations for nannies, both local and international. Also make sure if they stick to the rules and regulations of any organizations that they are affiliated to. Having known this, it will reassure you that its operation is not something illegal.

Furthermore, be knowledgeable of the agency’s recruitment policies and screening processes for nannies. In addition to that, the agency will substantiate the employment history of probable nannies, and generally make contact with (usually via telephone) some or all of the personal references provided. Interviewers will try to find out the truthfulness of the employment application, as well as the disposition and historical job performance of the candidate. Criminal and driving checks are generally not ordered until after you have extended a contingent offer of employment and it has been accepted by the nanny. Expect that the agency will share the results of the pre-screening, including the interviewer’s parody, with you in writing. You might as well personally check the references of any candidate you truly feel you will make an offer to. It is also pleasant to make sure that the agency has a replacement policy in case your placement does not work out and get clarity on the terms of this policy.

Fees vary considerably. Whatever the policy, make sure you understand it and that it is in writing. The better agencies will make every reasonable effort to please the client, providing that the client’s expectations are equally reasonable. While once upon a time, fees were charged only to nannies or taken from their pay after placement, most nanny agencies now charge the family a one-time fee. Since so much processing occurs well prior to a placement, nanny agencies have learned also to charge registration fees, generally nonrefundable.

Knowing all of these, your best choice is the nanny agency that puts you at ease by offering the information and the referrals that you need. Don’t settle for less!