For families employing a Nanny or a Family Assistant, having a good petty cash system can be an important tool to help keep a household running smoothly while also acting as a good practical way to keep childcare-related activities on a budget. And from a Nanny’s point of view, paying out-of-pocket for typical afterschool, weekend or summer activities and then waiting for reimbursement is likely…

It’s that time of year again … SPRING BREAK! No doubt you’re looking forward to the great plans you’ve made. You might not be thinking about childcare on your trip just yet, but you will! If you are travelling with your Nanny, here are a few tips to consider while traveling: Remember, you pay for her expenses, including airfare, hotel, food, etc. Your Nanny is…

The U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Service (USCIS) has issued a new “Employment Eligibility Verification Form,” i.e., the so-called I-9 Form. The old one nominally expired last year, and the new one is now valid through March 31, 2016. Unfortunately, the form has grown considerably in size – the instructions have gone from 3 pages to 6 and the portion you and your new employee have…

This reminder from California attorney Bob King at www.legallynanny.com: “If you’re a family hiring someone in your home, always negotiate based on gross, not net, pay. Net pay agreements make it more difficult to calculate overtime and could allow the employee to overwithhold taxes at your expense. You can always determine the net pay, but any agreement should be based on gross hourly wages.” Why…

As you know, Town + Country Resources is proud to join with other member agencies from the Association of Premier Nanny Agencies (APNA) to sponsor the first annual SPARK Awards for Excellence in Nanny Care.  The SPARK Awards, created by Lora Brawley of Nanny Biz Reviews, celebrate everyday Nannies doing extraordinary work to care for children, support parents and strengthen families. This April, Nannies will be…

We read recently at a business web site that a leading research and management consulting firm had found that “67% of employees learn about their jobs from co-workers and not from their bosses.” For in-home domestic employees, they are often (in fact nearly always) the only employee in the household, and for better-or-worse, have no co-workers to turn to for advice, guidance & training. This…

You’re happy with the services your household employee provides for you and your family, so why not show them how you feel? The holiday season is here and this is a perfect opportunity to show them just how grateful you are. When it comes to holiday tipping, there are no hard and fast rules. How much you give largely depends on what you feel you…