Choosing a top nanny agency in California with a depth of experience in the domestic staffing space gives you an ultimate advantage when deciding on who will care for your children in and out of the home. You will want a long-term relationship between you and your caregiver to provide your family with stability and reliability based on trust.
However, finding a nanny by yourself can be very time-consuming and stressful.
You’ll need to vet each applicant, deal with payroll, tax and contracts, and if the placement doesn’t work out, you start all over again.
If you’re looking for a California nanny, chances are you don’t have the time or expertise to do all that as well as all the other tasks that a demanding and busy family life involves.
This is why many families turn to top nanny agencies like ours who have the expertise to find just the right caregiver for their family.
However, not all nanny agencies are the same and choosing the wrong one can be just as disruptive and stressful to your balance and flow as doing it yourself.
If you are beginning your search for a top nanny agency in California, we’ve created this guide about what to look for, questions to ask and why the Seaside Staffing Company difference sets us apart from the rest.
So what should you look for when hiring a nanny agency?
This nanny hire will be a key long-term relationship in your family, so the agency’s philosophy must match yours. The right agency will give you peace of mind and take a weight off your shoulders.
As such, they will do the work of finding a nanny that matches your needs and your family as perfectly as possible giving you much needed support in a busy family life.
So how can you find the right agency for you?
Call Around
Not all agencies operate the same way and first impressions count.
- Do they make time to answer all your questions thoroughly?
- Do their answers make you feel comforted or uncomfortable?
- Can they provide references from clients and nannies? If not, why not?
- Follow up on any references they give you so you can get feedback on the agency from families just like yours.
- Nanny feedback on the agency is important too. You need to make sure the ethics and philosophies the agency advertises matches the nanny’s real experience.
Ask the Right Questions
Asking the right questions will help you discount nanny agencies who are not as thorough as you need them to be. Make sure you cover this checklist:
- How do they find their nannies?
- What is the process from start to finish?
- How do they screen nannies? Is it through face-to-face, video, and phone interviews, or online forms? Ask yourself if their screening methods are satisfactory to you.
- What kinds of background checks do they perform? Do they include a check of all social media, Trustline™, DMV and criminal records?
- Can you get references from the nanny’s previous employers?
- What are their fees and is there a non-refundable retainer?
- What are the agency’s guarantees if a placement doesn’t work out? Will they provide a replacement for free, charge you again, or offer a refund?
- What information will you get about candidates? Is it sufficient for you to assess them properly?
- Can you see all their policies? Ask to see them so you can be sure they have a rigorous system in place.
- Are they affiliated with the APNA or INA for additional reassurance?
- Are their nannies CPR/First Aid Certified?
- Can they answer questions about payroll and taxes?
This may seem like a lot of questions to ask but as parents, you want to be 100% sure that the nanny agency is thoroughly professional and has the health, safety, and happiness of your family and nanny at the forefront of their mind.
What makes us the top nanny agency in California?
Seaside Staffing Company believes in connecting families and nannies through a personalized approach. We think this makes us the top nanny agency in California. The key to our success is our extensive and discreet interview process for both candidates and clients.
This also gives our domestic staff candidates the peace of mind that they’ll be working in a safe and well-matched environment.
We interview, perform background screenings and check all relevant references for each candidate. Our background screening includes Trustline™ Registration for childcare providers, DMV report, social security trace, county criminal, all social media platforms, and documented references.
We have specific requirements for our nannies:
- Trustline™ Registration
- Authorized to work in the United States
- Current CPR and First Aid Certification (or willing to obtain)
- Proof of a clean DMV record (DUI or DWI not accepted)
- Proof of car registration and car insurance
- 3-6 Excellent References
- Letters of Recommendation
- Early Childhood Education Units (ECE Units) are favored
- Infant Experience highly sought after
When we connect you to a nanny you get complete reassurance that they’ve passed our screening with flying colors.
Our placements include additional services such as:
- Salary negotiations
- Client/Candidate domestic service agreement
- Referrals to employment and tax payroll services
- Access to our staff after hours and weekends
Our nanny agency’s achievements
We have well over a decade of achievements. Our CEO, Dara Green, set up Seaside Nannies in San Diego back in 2004 and has since expanded the business to covering all of San Diego, Orange County and Los Angeles.
As a former nanny and preschool teacher with a degree in early childhood education, Dara has a unique perspective on the screening process.
That passion for matching the right candidate with the right home is as strong today as it was then.
We have featured in Ranch & Coast Luxury Lifestyle Magazine’s Best of San Diego for 11 consecutive years as winners of the Nanny category. We plan to keep hold of that success.
Our nanny agency has had a lot of wonderful media coverage including Shoutout Socal, SD Voyager, Fairbanks Living, Close Up on San Diego other news features.
Find out for yourselves why we’re different, and why we’re the best at what we do as California’s top nanny agency. Ready to get started? Contact us today!
