Nanny:
A Job Description
Becoming a Town & Country Nanny
If you have significant in-home experience caring for children and are seeking your next position, we’d love to hear from you! Town & Country represents the best Nannies in the business. We will take the time to understand you and your unique strengths so we can present you in your best light to our clients.
Town & Country is the Bay Area’s most established and largest staffing agency. Most of our clients are repeat customers or referrals from their family and friends. Because of these long-standing relationships we are able to provide you with access to the best jobs in the Bay Area.
Our clients come to us seeking the best Nannies in the Bay Area – and we deliver. Most of our clients want Nannies with several years of professional, in-home experience. For most assignments, qualified candidates will have been in a similar position for at least two to three years, although we do occasionally have unique positions with varying requirements for experience or education. In any case, it’s best if your experience is recent.
We always contact every previous employer to check your references and make sure that all previous employers are able to provide an excellent reference before recommending you to our clients. Also, we conduct thorough background checks prior to our final placements to make sure that everyone feels safe as they enter into a very important relationship.
Finally, Town & Country is here to make the right match. Every family is different and each Nanny brings a unique combination of strengths, skills and experiences. We’re here to make sure that every match we make is rewarding for both our clients and our Nannies.
Responsibilities
Families want a nurturing, safe and stimulating environment so their children can thrive. The best Nannies do a great job of creating that atmosphere. The duties of a full-time or part-time Nanny can include:
- Childcare: The Nuts and Bolts
Helping busy parents ensure that essential childcare tasks are done right. - Preparing children for their day; dressing, grooming, breakfast, and getting them organized
- Preparing meals for the kids
- Driving children to school, appointments and activities
- Laundering clothes
- Tidying up after children
- Childcare: Developmental
Enriching children’s intellectual, emotional and physical development. - Tutoring and helping with homework
- Initiating and participating in enriching activities
- Playing sports and exercising
- Story time and reading
- Connecting during “just hanging out” time
- Managing and maintaining the household
- Loading and emptying the dishwasher and keeping the kitchen tidy
- Taking out garbage and recycling
- Taking care of pets
- Planning birthdays, play-dates and other activities
- Doing household errand
- Grocery shopping
- Personal shopping for family
- Picking up or dropping off dry cleaning
Compensation
Compensation for a Nanny is usually based on two factors: the amount of experience you bring to the position and the duties included in your job description. We can help to guide you in agreeing upon a compensation package that will work for you and your employer.
Salary
Full-time Nannies who live in the home work between 40 and 55 hours per week and earn $2,800 to $3,500 per month on average. Full-time Nannies who live outside the home work more than 35 hours per week and typically earn $18 to $25 per hour. Part-time Nannies generally work between 20 and 35 hours per week and earn $18 to $25 per hour.
Benefits
Many families provide benefits that may include:
Paid sick days
Paid vacation
Paid holidays
Medical insurance
Reimbursement for automobile expenses
Part-time benefits may include:
Paid sick days
Paid vacation
Paid holidays
Reimbursement for automobile expenses
What candidates, clients and staff are saying
“My placement counselor really listened to what I was looking for. She worked hard to place me with the right family. In fact, everyone at Town & Country was really focused on matching staff with the right families.” —Rhonda
“I was just named Chief of Neurosurgery. My husband and I have both achieved our professional goals and raised sweet and loving children. I tell Gina, our nanny who’s been with us for 14 years, that we couldn’t have done it without her. We’re grateful to Gina and to Town & Country for finding just the right nanny for our family.” —Eileen, Surgeon and Mom
“Working with families and nannies requires asking the right questions – really digging into the details about how families live day-to-day and what they value when raising their kids.” —Sarah Thigpen, Town & Country
FAQ
What is Share Care?
When two or more families hire one Nanny to care for all the children, it's called a “share care” arrangement. For a share care arrangement to work effectively, the participating families need to have a compatible geography, budget, values and preferences for how their children will be cared for. Typically, a Nanny will require a somewhat higher wage to care for more children. For tax purposes, each family participating in the share care is considered to be a separate employer. We encourage you to consult with us to evaluate whether share care is the right option for your family. We can help you make the right decision.
What is the difference between a Nanny and an au pair?
An au pair is treated as a member of the family, not an employee like a Nanny, and comes from a foreign country as a part of a cultural exchange program administered by the U.S. Department of State working with approved agencies placing candidates under a so-called “J-1” visa. Au pairs have limited duties that encompass care of children but most may not perform household tasks like laundry or managing the household in the parents' absence. Unlike Nannies, au pairs are limited to a 45-hour workweek and are limited to a one to two-year stay in the United States. Also, while Nannies vary in age, au pairs must be aged 18 to 26 years old. There are additional requirements imposed by the terms of the au pair’s visa, including that the au pair has been hired through a special agency approved by the U.S. Department of State.
Which positions are similar to a Nanny?
A Family Assistant is most similar to a Nanny. Family Assistants take care of children while also helping to run the home. We often place highly qualified candidates who work as a combined Nanny & Family Assistant. Housekeepers primarily focus on keeping a home clean, but some Housekeepers might be able to help with childcare as well, typically on a back-up basis. Baby Nurses are similar to Nannies; the major difference is the age of the child being cared for. Some Nannies have experience caring for newborns and very young babies, while other Nannies have more experience caring for older children. Baby Nurses focus only on newborns, and typically only during the nighttime hours. Baby Nurses can also provide guidance to new Moms and Dads on feeding, sleeping and breastfeeding. We can help you choose the positions to apply for that will be the best fit for you.
Do you offer temporary Nannies for short-term needs?
Yes. Town & County has a qualified pool of temporary Nannies who can care for children for any amount of time– whether it’s an evening, a vacation or several months. You can learn more here or contact us for more information.
