Baby Nurse: Job Description

Responsibilities

A Baby Nurse provides loving care for babies, usually at night, so new parents can get much needed rest. Town & Country Baby Nurses are very experienced; most have worked on assignments with us for years. Baby Nurses can provide expert assistance in your baby’s first weeks and months during the post-delivery recovery period. A Baby Nurse, also known as a Night Nanny, Post-partum Doula or Newborn Specialist, can help new parents in a wide variety of ways, including helping your baby adjust to sleeping and feeding schedules, providing burping and swaddling techniques, as well as assistance with lactation, changing, bathing, infant laundry and sterilizing bottles.
We know how important the health and safety of your newborn is. We work hard to screen all of our Baby Nurses and check every reference.  Due to the short-term nature of Baby Nurse positions, we have worked with most of our Baby Nurses for many years and have placed them on multiple assignments with clients, so we have an opportunity to get to know them extremely well. As with all of our placements, we practice "full disclosure,” which means that we share all pertinent information about candidates with our clients so that you can make a fully informed hiring decision. We will also follow up with you after our Baby Nurse has completed her work for you so that we can include your feedback as part of her reference file.
It is important to us that you feel confident that the Baby Nurse you hire through Town & Country will keep your baby safe and well cared for. We also work closely with you to understand your unique needs so that we can match you with a Baby Nurse who will be a great fit.
The duties of a Baby Nurse may include:

• Feeding by bottle or bringing baby to Mom for nursing
• Changing
• Laundering infant clothes
• Sterilizing bottles
• Burping and settling newborn back to sleep after feeding
• Helping to create a nurturing, stimulating environment for baby during waking hours
• Documenting baby’s patterns, including sleeping log and feeding and changing times
• Transitioning baby to a regular feeding schedule
• Formulating a sleep schedule
• Educating parents about care for twins, triplets, etc.
• Providing parental guidance and support
• Consulting on lactation issues

Compensation

Compensation for a Baby Nurse is usually based on the amount of experience the candidate brings to the position. We can help you determine the appropriate compensation that will work for your family and the Baby Nurse.

Salary
The salary range for a Baby Nurse is $25 to $35 per hour. Salaries for twins typically begin at $30 per hour.

What clients and staff are saying

“I was really impressed with Town & Country. I started working with another agency; they sent six Baby Nurses but I didn’t like any of them. When I switched to T&C, Elizabeth really listened to me; she paid attention to what I needed and was looking for. Then she made the match – Rosemarie, the Baby Nurse I hired, was the first person I met.” —Barbara, New Mom

"Rose was a big support, provider of great advice and a good partner to us. It was nice to have her there every evening. She helped with a lot of sleep training and really participated in the stages and changes in the baby’s development that occurred over the months she was with us. She was incredibly helpful along the way, both practically helpful and helpful on a psychological basis. We trusted her completely. We could just go to our room and relax and know that she would care for our son the way we would ourselves." —Marian, First-time Mom
“We have a stable and highly experienced pool of Baby Nurses. Over the years I’ve gotten to know these committed women quite well and I have a good sense of which Baby Nurse will be a good match for each family.” —Elizabeth Dameron-Drew, Town & Country Resources

Nanny: Job Description

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.
We know how important the safety of your family and your home is. We work hard to screen all of our Nannies and check every reference. We practice "full disclosure,” which means that we share all pertinent information about candidates with our clients so that you can make a fully informed hiring decision. We’ll never withhold information from you just to push a candidate through. We will keep you informed of our progress screening your chosen candidates throughout your search.
It is important to us that you feel confident that the Nanny you hire through Town & Country will keep your children and home safe. Just as important, we work closely with you to understand your family’s unique needs so that we can match you with a Nanny who will be a great fit.
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 errands.

• 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 your Nanny brings to the position and the duties included in the Nanny job description. We can help you determine the appropriate compensation that will work for your family and the Nanny.

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 clients and staff are saying

“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

Our Summer Solution

Summer vacation for preschool, grade school, or middle school can present challenges for many families.  It can be difficult to decide which activities to participate in and how to piece it all together so that everyone in the family can have a fun, enjoyable and well balanced summer.

Last summer, we opted to get a “Summer Nanny” for our children. Our Summer Nanny was on break from our local college and had spent previous summers working as a counselor at summer camps. Peter wanted someone who would play basketball with him and Anna wanted someone who would get in the pool and go swimming with her. First and foremost, Jens and I wanted to find someone who would make sure our kids were safe and well cared for, but we also wanted someone who would enthusiastically engage with our kids in all their summer activities and help to create a unique, personalized and stress-free summer experience for all of us.

Our Summer Nanny exceeded everyone’s expectations. It was a wonderful summer for our entire family and the kids still talk about their “Summer Buddy.” Our Summer Nanny was able to connect with our kids, show an admirable amount of care and concern for our children, AND provide them with an amazingly unique summer experience! Here are some of the other things our kids did with our Summer Nanny that stand out in our memory:

• Taught the children how to make lanyards and friendship bracelets
• Played games like tag and capture the flag with the children in the back yard
• Packed up the kids and their bikes and went riding with them at a local park
• Cheered the children on at their swim meets and was thrilled when they achieved their personal bests
• Read to the kids when they were tired in the afternoon and needed some down time
• Taught the children about lacrosse (which our Nanny played in college)
• Took the kids to the local museums
• Took them to see a couple of very silly children’s movies
• Accompanied the children when they visited with their grandparents
• Helped the kids keep their rooms clean and picked-up
• Packed lunches before they headed off for the day’s activities
• Attended the summer swim team trip to the waterslides with both children

Both of our children loved their summer with their Summer Buddy.  They were able to participate in their chosen summer activities and were also able to spend valuable time at home reading, playing, sleeping in, and relaxing. Having a Summer Nanny was like getting our own personalized camp counselor!

I am just about to call our Summer Nanny to see about this summer – the kids would be thrilled!

If a Summer Nanny sounds like something your family needs, our Town & Country Temporary Department can help.  We have a pool of qualified and wonderful Summer Nannies that can help you.  To see our Special Summer Nanny Pricing and to learn more about our Summer Nannies, click here.

Traveling with Your Nanny

Families often have questions about traveling with their Nanny. If you are planning to take your Nanny on a trip with you, here are some basic guidelines to consider:

It’s always best to discuss the trip and your expectations with your Nanny before you leave.  Remember, it is not a vacation for your Nanny.  No matter how luxurious the accommodations or where she sits on the plane, she’s still working for you and should be compensated for all of her working hours, especially if they exceed her normal working hours/schedule.

In addition to her regular hourly wage, it is your responsibility to pay for her:

• Travel
• Lodging
• Food
• Activities while on the job (for example, ski lift tickets or rentals if she’s skiing with the family)

We recommend looking at the entire vacation schedule with your Nanny and confirming which hours she will work for you and which she will have off.  Discuss whether you’d like her to dine with you or not, and if not, what her daily food budget will be. (Please keep in mind that hotel restaurants are sometimes pricier than one would expect.)

Some families pay a flat daily rate so they don’t have to keep track of their Nanny’s work hours.  Many families also offer a daily bonus of $50-100 to compensate the Nanny for being away from home, and a few families simply add 25% or more to their Nanny’s weekly salary.  Extra financial compensation isn’t a must; some families provide the privacy of one’s own hotel room, ski tickets, a spa treatment, or other non-financial considerations.

Travel salaries can also vary depending on workload.  If the Nanny is responsible for watching a second family’s children as well as her employers’, she may receive double pay or a premium on her base salary.  It is also necessary to compensate your Nanny if you have her sleep in the same room with the children or care for them overnight. For the sleeping hours, we recommend a flat rate of $75 per night for school-aged children and $100 for infants and toddlers.

What is most important is that you and your Nanny sit down together when planning the vacation and discuss schedules and compensation.  Taking the time to discuss these factors ahead of time will result in a more enjoyable vacation for you and your family.

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Finding Great Candidates in a Down Economy

Finding just “the one” can be tough no matter what the economy and the unemployment situation is. Currently, one of the trends we’re seeing is that great candidates are not taking the risk to search for a new job due to the current state of the economy. Those who have years of experience under their belts and are contently employed are simply not interested in making a change right now. Working in someone’s home requires a solid, mutually rewarding match which can take months to establish in a new job. Here at T+C, we’re finding that many stellar candidates aren’t interested in taking that risk for fear of being unemployed in the months ahead due to a mismatch or a client eliminating the position unexpectedly.

Should you consider hiring a Live-in Nanny?

Many of our clients seeking to hire a Nanny start their searches focused on finding a live-in candidate. The reasons are many, but in our experience, the two main reasons family consider a live-in Nanny are (i) to get increased coverage, and (ii) to save money.

In our experience, a live-in Nanny is not necessarily going to be able to address these two needs.

Often families will expect a live-in Nanny to be willing & able to provide a significant level of coverage with flexibility to meet changing needs (i.e., “24/7″ coverage). From the Nanny’s point of view, this is still a job and a source of income. They seeking set schedules for 40 to 55 hours per week. And while they do often have the flexibility to work unusual schedules, they still want to set their work schedule in advance.

Cost savings can also be difficult. Wages for good Live-in nannies are only slightly lower than for live-out Nannies. It is important also not to underestimate the indirect costs of providing housing, utilities, often also food, as well as the cost of lost privacy.

The challenges of finding a live-in Nanny

Qualified childcare is difficult to find under the best of circumstances, and even more so for the family is seeking live-in help. In our experience, the vast majority of professional Nannies prefer live-out positions. Often, both Nannies and employers alike find it challenging to maintain boundaries during non-working hours when the Nanny lives in.

The search for the right Nanny is also complicated by the fact that many live-in candidates live out-of-state and are seeking to move to California. Screening & interviewing out-of-state candidates adds a level of complication that can add undue pressure on the family’s hiring decision.

The challenges of employing a live-in Nanny

The three most important success factors for employing a live-in Nanny are Chemistry! Chemistry! Chemistry! The chemistry match with your Nanny is incredibly important, even more so with a live-in Nanny. Hiring a live-in employee is like hiring someone to join your family. There needs to be a very strong foundation of mutual respect, shared child-rearing philosophies and superb communication between both parents and Nanny.

It is also important that boundaries are maintained during non-working hours. It can be difficult not to ask for or expect help on a Saturday afternoon as you’re struggling with a crying baby in your arms and a toddler scrambling for the stairs.

Wage Threshold Changes Under Federal Tax Law

For 2012, the domestic employee wage threshold under Federal law for paying Social Security taxes will rise to $1,800. Earnings below this amount will not be subject to Social Security taxes. This limit is up from $1,700 in 2011.

Under California law, the thresholds will stay at $750 and $1000. Specifically: You must register with the Employment Development Department (EDD) as a household employer for California payroll tax purposes when you have paid cash wages totaling $750 or more in one calendar quarter to one or more people who work as employees in or around your home. The amount of wages you pay in a calendar quarter will determine the payroll taxes you are required to withhold and pay. If you pay …

- $750 to $999, then you have to withhold State Disability Insurance (SDI).
- $1,000 or more, then you have to withhold SDI, PLUS pay Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Employment Training Tax (ETT).

Thus, if you, as an employer, pay more than $750 in a quarter or $1,800 in a year, you will have some tax reporting requirements.