Hiring Childcare 101

By Tracy Feduck

You couldn’t be prouder of your bundle of joy, but now comes the daunting task of hiring the childcare for him/her because you have to go back to work.

The best way to hire your own nanny is by word of mouth. If you have a friend that knows a friend that knows someone who’d be great, then give him or her the first interview. There will be many issues that need to be discussed to be sure you’re hiring the right person, but the key is to be sure how you feel about certain things before the interview. Have a definite opinion in your mind about the following things before you interview your candidate:

• Discipline -Feeding
• Diapering/toilet training
• Naps -Indoor vs. outdoor play
• Structured vs. free play
• Use of television
• Nanny responsibility for other work in your home (i.e. doing dishes, making beds, doing laundry)
• Ability of nanny to do personal things (telephone calls, errands) while your child is in his/her care)
• Hours of work

If you don’t even know where your head is at on these things, then no one will be able to give you the right answer. Once you know where you stand on these issues (hopefully before he/she reaches university), then you’re ready for the face-to-face interview. Here are some questions to help you along:

• Why do you want to be a nanny?
• Why did you leave your previous position?
• What child rearing philosophies do you lean towards?
• What are your strengths in working with children?
• What is your experience working with children of xx age?
• What was the best part of working with children of xx age? What was the worst part?
• How would you discipline a child in the following situation (describe one appropriate for your child’s age)?
• What sort of activities would you plan for a typical day with the children? A rainy day?
• When the weather is nice, do you prefer to be inside or outside?
• Have you ever had a dangerous or emergency situation with a child in your care? What was it and how did you handle it?
• What are your expectations of your relationship with parent/employer? How much direction/autonomy do you need?
• What are your hobbies/interests?
• Do you smoke?
• Can you drive?
• Do you consider yourself a tidy person?

When you are finished your interview, it might be a good idea to have your child meet the candidate. If your child runs screaming from the room, set up some more interviews! When you are interviewing complete strangers (no preceding thumbs up from anyone you know), be sure and ask for personal references as well as employment references. Most of all, check every reference you get.

Hiring childcare is one of the most difficult things to do. Once you have found your Mary Poppins, treat her well and hopefully you won’t have to go through this interview process again. Above everything, follow your instincts.

Article courtesy of: