tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-773373869463725905.post3962094501077221241..comments2023-10-31T06:06:59.528-04:00Comments on How to Be the Best Nanny : Pre-Screened Nannies? Part IIBest Nanny Newsletterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06103799261254020125noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-773373869463725905.post-20065964023243848312011-08-04T11:41:32.712-04:002011-08-04T11:41:32.712-04:00just be careful in hiring a new nanny because nowa...just be careful in hiring a new nanny because nowadays, there are some cases that the nanny abusing babies. do a background check first to know if the nanny has a criminal cases to their past employment, doing these will be sure that your children or babies are in good handbackground checkshttp://www.identitypi.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-773373869463725905.post-3614780473920245182009-08-30T00:38:52.448-04:002009-08-30T00:38:52.448-04:00I agree with a lot of things ppl are saying about ...I agree with a lot of things ppl are saying about this! I recommend to other nannies who have come to me about this that they should also get their own background check and have it in their portfolio. I am listed on www.care.com,www.sittercity.com and www.4nannies.com and I have bought my own on all 3 of them. I personally like 4nannies.com background check because its detailed and covers everything. I also have a drug screen results in my portfolio as well. I think its all about professionalism as well and how you as a Nanny present yourself to future families. On the other hand of the this issue what about background checks on Parents? I mean if I am willing to give up my SS# and background to a complete stranger who could have a criminal past or anything I think there needs to be something in place for nannies as well! I think Nannies 4 Hire is offering this service now, but how many parents you think would be willing to do this?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-773373869463725905.post-23361130806632471582009-07-24T07:27:54.327-04:002009-07-24T07:27:54.327-04:00I am so glad someone finally confronted the online...I am so glad someone finally confronted the online Nanny services.<br />I worked at an Agency that had 100s of Nanny applicants come in through the year, some of which we had to "reject" due to DUI, DWI, arrests, etc....After we gave them their rejection letter, we would find them on Care.com! We were appalled!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-773373869463725905.post-30510891776808530972009-07-13T11:32:43.057-04:002009-07-13T11:32:43.057-04:00I've been a fulltime nanny for over 4 years. T...I've been a fulltime nanny for over 4 years. The family found me through 4sitters.com. The employers checked references and after I was hired, they performed a background check through http://www.fullsearch.com - not only was it beneficial for them to see that I had no criminal past, but it helped me by finding a discrpency with my social security number. Background checks are not that expensive, especially when you have the money to hire an individual to care for your child. I recommend that all parents do a background check on their nanny/babysitter and to share.Christinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01533865153216395024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-773373869463725905.post-21546340546775674612009-07-12T22:21:05.091-04:002009-07-12T22:21:05.091-04:00My name is Jamie and I have a website called Helpf...My name is Jamie and I have a website called Helpformommy.com. I prescreen all families and personally help them handpick help. I call referernces and do background checks. Which are not free by the way. I work with a background check company. I know most of the people on my website, and interview all that plan to work for families either personally or by phone. I do not have thousands of people on my website but since doing this, I have had plenty of happy customers and happy nannies. I do not advertise that I prescreen, however I still provide a great service.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-773373869463725905.post-55688687830191656432009-07-12T21:42:11.297-04:002009-07-12T21:42:11.297-04:00It looks like Care.com (who was one of the online ...It looks like Care.com (who was one of the online sites that advertised as "Pre-screened") now advertises as "Mom Reviewed Caregivers". From what I can gather, a mom reviews the caregiver's written description and corrects typos and grammar so that it reads better than it was originally written by the caregiver. So basically, they don't do any reviewing (or screening) of the actual "caregiver", but rather their "profile" description. I'm not sure how this translates into a benefit for families. It still sounds incredibly misleading to me!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-773373869463725905.post-49492987103800950002009-07-12T18:18:14.552-04:002009-07-12T18:18:14.552-04:00I agree with you completely Courtney!I agree with you completely Courtney!lovebeinganannyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14065214480112809135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-773373869463725905.post-67062715919295273132009-07-12T16:09:29.933-04:002009-07-12T16:09:29.933-04:00In response to LoveBeingANanny, I just wanted to s...In response to LoveBeingANanny, I just wanted to say that my intention was not to sound angry or defensive. I only meant to point out that if parents are looking for thoroughly prescreened candidates, they should definitely go the route of the traditional placement agency (since online services do not prescreen). This option comes with a higher price tag but certainly has its benefits. I am also really glad that Monta Flemming discussed the way that Google Ads (and other search engines) often produce content-based ads of their own. Any agency could show up in search results under a tagline that the agency itself didn't create. For that reason, unfortunately some online services may appear to be participating in false advertising. Every business should strive for ethical and honest advertising and business practices. All of these comments have been great to read. I'm so glad to find a nanny-related blog where such pertinent issues are being discussed!Courtneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15274591862559243657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-773373869463725905.post-58380518033013871442009-07-10T22:35:14.535-04:002009-07-10T22:35:14.535-04:00Wow! Lots of good info. I love everyone's resp...Wow! Lots of good info. I love everyone's responsed too. Great job to everyone!<br />Beth, San DiegoAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-773373869463725905.post-16094381495885940142009-07-10T16:54:56.898-04:002009-07-10T16:54:56.898-04:00The Association of Premier Nanny Agencies (APNA) h...The Association of Premier Nanny Agencies (APNA) has published several blog posts about this topic in recent time that are well worth the reads...<br /><br />#1:<br />http://theapna.org/blog/2008/03/14/apna-response-to-abc-nbc-about-online-only-nanny-services/<br /><br />#2:<br />http://theapna.org/blog/2008/01/09/nanny%E2%80%99s-arrest-highlights-difficulty-of-conducting-background-checks/<br /><br />#3:<br />http://theapna.org/blog/2008/09/08/background-checks-by-lynn-peterson-pfc-information-services-inc/Nettie Weberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03691158588066385345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-773373869463725905.post-13899932162805197182009-07-10T13:04:24.650-04:002009-07-10T13:04:24.650-04:00I just wanted to put a name and face to what somet...I just wanted to put a name and face to what sometimes seem like faceless websites. My name is Monta Fleming, and I'm the President and founder of GoNannies.com. We're one of the largest nationwide online nanny sites. Thank you, Stephanie, for presenting such a balanced overview of a really critical issue. And double kudos for encouraging those 3 websites to take action!<br /><br />People should know that, just like the woman who posted that she wanted to create a site of integrity, there ARE already a few of us out there. I have 3 small children myself and know first hand the concerns, questions, and even fears that parents have when they need to find a trustworthy nanny. I actually created the site for that very reason after I had my first child 7 years ago. Both my staff and I take extreme pride in the honesty, integrity, and hands-on guidance we provide to our customers to make sure they are aware of and guided toward conducting proper screening. We would never compromise our families' or our nannies' safety to win business and, quite frankly, marvel at how people who do can sleep at night. We sincerely feel that we offer the best of both worlds to our customers, providing experienced hand-holding and guidance via our live "Anything-You-Need" customer support paired with the undeniable conveniences both families and nannies gain from our online features. We feel that as long as we continue to be passionate in our efforts to keep our customers educated about how to conduct a safe and thorough screening process AND provide them the resources to do so, we are offering them an amazing value and service, WITHOUT compromising their safety.<br /><br />I say all this to re-iterate the fact that not all online sites are the same. If you're ever unsure about the integrity of a site and the services they offer, call them and see what kind of response and support you receive--that will always tell you! <br /><br />A technical note: People should be aware of how Google sponsored ads work when searching for the term "pre-screened nannies". Sites who advertise for the generic word "nannies" will show up whenever any term that INCLUDES the word "nannies" is searched for. So even though a site may be listed, does not mean it advertises specifically for that term. In fact, many of the sites returned for the search term "pre-screened nannies" do not actually advertise pre-screened nannies, including us. We do not, have not, and never will advertise that we pre-screen nannies in any way.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-773373869463725905.post-1785131117396020942009-07-10T11:18:37.815-04:002009-07-10T11:18:37.815-04:00There is no such thing as a free background check,...There is no such thing as a free background check, beware of companies posing as background check authorities who offer free or unlimited background checks for one low price, These are simply link farms to a few free county courts online searches.<br /><br />Use a reputable company who provides data and check their coverage before purchase. Background checks can be provided by www.integrascan.comUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07386336020686809354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-773373869463725905.post-6924148447122069402009-07-10T09:47:09.625-04:002009-07-10T09:47:09.625-04:00http://theparentingchallenge.net/parenting/an-expe...http://theparentingchallenge.net/parenting/an-expert-nanny-save-time-on-finding-expert-nannies/<br /><br /><br />Concerned Dad again to point out the article above again. They are not endorsed by Dr Phil or CNN. <br /><br />I suspect, they do not supply 500,000nannies that are all perfect for your child. <br />This article is another example to be cautious af ads and Dr Phil, both of which you have addressed before.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-773373869463725905.post-66675214273917446492009-07-10T09:38:55.498-04:002009-07-10T09:38:55.498-04:00I am Stephanie the editor of "Be the Best Nan...I am Stephanie the editor of "Be the Best Nanny Newsletter" and just wanted to mention one important fact that I overlooked.<br /><br />There are third party web site directories that list names of other business's with links to their web sites without the business's knowledge.<br /><br />For example, third party directories have placed text and links to our newsletter web site at: BestNannyNewsletter.com. <br /><br />The directories often state that we are a nanny placement agency, which is misleading. We are not an agency, but a nanny trade publication. <br /><br />I often have parents call me looking for help in finding a nanny and I have spent many hours calling back parents to explain I am not a nanny placement agency. The parents were mislead by the listing by a directory I did not know about.<br /><br />The same thing may happen to nanny web sites and au pair web sites. In these cases it is not the fault of the nanny or au pair web sites that a third party directory they never knew about states that the nanny or au pair web site "pre-screens" nannies.<br /><br />Please take into account that some directories were unauthorized to post the links and misleading text.Best Nanny Newsletterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06103799261254020125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-773373869463725905.post-51187481394490318142009-07-10T00:38:54.605-04:002009-07-10T00:38:54.605-04:00What about this misleading article? Sounds way too...What about this misleading article? Sounds way too slick for my liking.<br /> <br />http://theparentingchallenge.net/parenting/an-expert-nanny-save-time-on-finding-expert-nannies/<br /><br />Concerned DadAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-773373869463725905.post-51029411967216667522009-07-10T00:35:25.167-04:002009-07-10T00:35:25.167-04:00In any other industry the company might get sued f...In any other industry the company might get sued for misleading advertising. When something happens to your house or kids you bet you are going to want to sue somebody. It's great that some nanny web sites explain that they don't prescreen but if their advertising brings parents to their site by stating prescreening then they feel confident and hire a pedophile....<br /><br />Not worth it, fix the ads.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-773373869463725905.post-5253048411913860422009-07-09T22:12:24.193-04:002009-07-09T22:12:24.193-04:00After reading Courtney's message I just wanted...After reading Courtney's message I just wanted to mention that I don't think they are choosing or promoting nanny agency vs nanny website. In the beginning of your message it sounded defensive or mad about something but I don't think there is a pro-agency vs pro website vibe in these articles.<br /><br />The key is just to not mislead parents and nannies no matter who the business is.<br /><br />Most importantly parents must spend time and money calling references personally and pay for background checks whether they use a nanny website or have help from an agency. <br /><br />Either way, the parent pays for the background checks. Agencies don't pay, the parents pay the agencies to do it for them.<br /><br />There is an important place for both traditional agencies and Internet nanny referral sites in hiring nannies.<br /><br />I am a nanny and most nannies I know use nanny websites and it's difficult to find many that use agencies. Many still think they have to pay an agency (not true for nannies) and some won't go to an agency because they are illegal, some just don't know about them, some never made a resume and are insecure about how to fill out the applications, and so on. Some nannies I know do not have a computer and they don't go online at all so nanny websites aren't a possiblity for them.<br /><br />There are many reasons nanny web sites are more convenient.<br /><br />How frustrating for parents to not control who they can or can't interview with. I don't like how agencies control who parents meet (sometimes at least, I don't know if they all do that).<br /><br />What is important is not to mislead anyone. The checking of references and performing background checks are too important to just advertise as doingm then not do as a service. <br /><br />It is 100% fine for parents to hire household help however they want to. But, they should never skimp on the background checks. They end up spending money to perform the checks whether they use a traditional agency or web site so no saving money there.<br /><br />I admit though the 2 jobs I found on nanny web sites the parents did NOT do background checks on me. But the agencies it took over a week -- what a stressful week waiting for the checks to be completed so I could get the job!<br /><br />THE CHANCE THAT NANNY WEB SITE STAFF HAVE MET ANY OF THEIR POSTED NANNY CANDIDATES IS NIL. I doubt they personally met anyone posted on their sites.lovebeinganannyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14065214480112809135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-773373869463725905.post-84741386975906391832009-07-09T21:33:56.304-04:002009-07-09T21:33:56.304-04:00I was a nanny for many, many years and found most ...I was a nanny for many, many years and found most of my jobs through classifieds (mainly Criagslist). I have also owned a nanny agency (the traditional kind) and an online service. There are many GREAT issues addressed in your blog entry and in the comments that follow. I just want to touch on a couple of them. I have owned and operated a full-service nanny placement agency in Boulder, Colorado. It's true that we never ran background checks until employment was offered and we needed the nanny to sign various release forms before running any background checks. However, we did check every reference, did extensive interviewing, including phone and in-person interviews. Once a family made an offer to a nanny, so ran her criminal background search and social security trace. Then we got her CPR and 1st Aid certified. All of this "pre-screening" is VERY time-consuming and very expensive. For this reason, we charged a large placement fee. However, over the years, especially during the economic crises, we found that MANY families didn't want to or could afford to pay steep placement fees. Furthermore, many families wanted to do their own screening. There are many different kinds of families in need of childcare- families with various styles, various budgets, expectations, comfort-levels, etc. Some families like using classifieds (like Craigslist) but they want to be able to run narrow searches on candidates, which online nanny agencies allow users to perform. Bottom line is this: full-service nanny agencies are quite different from online services. But this is not to say that online services don't have great benefits. Each family needs to weigh the differences and choose which is right for them. But either way, families should take ultimate responsibility for educating themselves, researching reputable agencies, asking questions, etc. It's true that most online services do not personally "pre-screen" each individual nanny; however, they are beneficial for many families and nannies because they provide a great Internet venue for connection that gives families and nannies the resources to conduct a safe and informed search if they choose to put in the time.Courtneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15274591862559243657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-773373869463725905.post-60676327025685437822009-07-09T20:40:51.521-04:002009-07-09T20:40:51.521-04:00I did my own little search and immediately found:
...I did my own little search and immediately found:<br /><br />citinannies<br />nannies4hire<br />sittercity<br />care.com<br /><br />But care.com ads are saturated all over the internet. They state pre-screened on their web site. They say "safe" and "pre-screened" but you can't even call them or get a response from them when I used them.<br /><br />Melinda, RIAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-773373869463725905.post-17056647096510924232009-07-09T20:01:34.825-04:002009-07-09T20:01:34.825-04:00Interesting how a suffix "pre" can be so...Interesting how a suffix "pre" can be so important. The key is the screening IS NOT done for the parents!!! <br /><br />Every try contacting these sites? No phone numbers listed. You can't even contact them, how they going to know if you are a safe person to hire?<br /><br />Thanks for bringing it to our attention. If parents AND caregivers are going to use the Internet they have to dish out the time, energy, and money to screen the caregivers and the parents. We have heard of nannies killed going on interviews found on craigslist.<br /><br />Parents might think using a nanny web site will save them time and money but they must invest time and money on the backgrounds of those they hire. The safety of their children and home depend on it.<br /><br />The convenience of web sites are wonderful but as with everything on the Internet it can be dangerous. <br /><br />Not fair of nanny web sites to try to convince parents they are helping them hire someone safely. The parents have to do it all themselves.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-773373869463725905.post-39768787061359752902009-07-09T19:05:20.662-04:002009-07-09T19:05:20.662-04:00It is really good to actually learn what pre-scree...It is really good to actually learn what pre-screening means. It could mean simply confirming someone's name is verifiable as is their credit card and home address but in fact I don't think nanny web sites can even do that. That is the key difference between a nanny referral agency and nanny web site and it is vital parents and nannies know the difference.<br /><br />WIth nanny web sites you are on your own. The web site can post all the information but it does not mean the parents or nannies read it. If the parents don't do the reference checks, pay for criminal check, DMV check, credit history, and so on then it won't be done when finding a caregiver online.Tobago Nannyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02441118518004856552noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-773373869463725905.post-80433944761008454942009-07-09T14:40:54.994-04:002009-07-09T14:40:54.994-04:00It will be interesting to see what the other sites...It will be interesting to see what the other sites you found saying they pre-screen job candidates say tomorrow. It's a pretty convincing argument esp. when Ms. Cascio describes what pre-screening is. There is no possible way hundreds of postings can all be screened, at least right now. Will see what they say. But if confirming your email address, home address, name is valid, and have a credit card are ways to pre-screen that won't quite cut it. <br /><br />That's why I am thrilled my employers hired me through a very expensive agency that only places a few candidates a month. Better to place just a few high end well referenced nannies than save money and just see what you get.Fiona Littletonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15968238671408818014noreply@blogger.com