Are you a working parent that needs an extra hand with the children? Perhaps you’re a stay-at-home parent but need time throughout the week to volunteer outside of the home. Whatever your situation is, hiring a qualified nanny to watch your children in your absence can be incredibly beneficial. But what if your budget doesn’t allow for a full-time private nanny?

A nanny share could be the answer for you.

A nanny share involves one nanny caring for the children in more than one family. For example, your family and another family would come together to ‘share’ the nanny’s services and split the cost.

How does it work?

First, you will need to find another family that is interested in this type of situation and discuss what you’re looking for in a professional nanny. You’ll also need to discuss what wage you’re comfortable paying. Keep in mind that a nanny working with a nanny share agreement usually requires a 20-25% higher wage than what a single family, single child rate would be. But, because you are splitting the cost of between multiple families, it ends up saving money in the long run.

Then, you will need to begin different candidates that are open to the nanny share agreement. Our team at Household Staffing can help find a qualified professional nanny that is experienced working with multiple children or multiple families at once. Once you find the right match, one family’s home is usually the ‘base’ or the ‘host home’. This will be where the children and nanny are during the day. Parents from both families will need to ensure their kids have all the supplies they need throughout the day (medications, specific snacks, stroller or car seat, bottles, etc).

Also, be sure you get your new nanny set up legally for payment and tax withholdings. Your nanny is an employee, not an independent contractor, and needs to be paid on record, not under the table. Not sure where to begin? We partner with household payroll companies that can help answer your questions, so you can be sure you’re within compliance.

Nanny shares are a wonderful way to keep your children in a comfortable, personalized home environment. Call us today to get started on your candidate search!