Planning on possibly becoming a certified nanny?

Question

The community college around me has a program called Nanny Child Care Professional and its listed as "alternative training".

College isn't really a big thing for me, I've always just wanted to be a Stay at Home Mom but at this point my husband is in the army and we won't be having kids... until we live in the same house. (He leaves for Iraq in a few months and I'm staying with my parents until he gets back.) So... I need something to do. I'm not 100% sure if this is what I want since I just started looking but I already have experience with other people's kids (one I've been watching on and off for a year and a half).

My questions are: Do people really hire nannies? How much will I make? How much will I work? Anything else that might help?

Answer 1

Check out www.nannies4hire.com  They will answer a lot of your questions and more on the resources page.  I listed with this site and did well as a nanny.  I am also considering hiring a nanny through this site for my family.  

Answer 2

I became a nanny when my son was about 16 months old because he was a preemie and I didn't want to put him in daycare. I made between $700-$800 a month (Under the table). Usually people want their nannies to work a normal 40 hour work week, sometimes with an occasional date night or weekend. Some people do nanny share with another family if they are not needed fulltime.

Answer 3

I've worked as a live in and live out nanny for several families. Yes people do hure nannies. What you make depends on your experience and schooling, first aid training, etc... also if you plan to do any housekeeping beyond light housekeeping then you can add more on for that.

The last family I worked for I made $14.00 per hour but I have worked for as little as $10.00 per hour when I was starting out. I was recently offered a job for $16.00 per hour which I turned down because of the families extreme religious beliefs that I felt would be complicated for me considering I wouldn't even have been allowed to bring my own food into their home. It's important to find a good fit so you can stick around for awhile. If you truely care about children then you don't want to hop from one nanny job to another because it only hurts the children.

How much you work will depend on the family and how much they work. Most of my past nanny positions have been full time which is usually more than 8 hours because you have to consider the parents traveling time. I have also done part time though as well. Make sure if you will do laundry or any cleaning beyond light housekeeping then you should charge more.

You can definitely make more money as a nanny than you would working in a childcare center. If you are going to be a nanny you need to be reliable because you are pretty much all the parents have and they will count on you to be there on time and every day. At my last position I only called in sick twice in two years. I know they appreciate that and when you go to look for a new job in the future and use them as a reference, being reliable is a big thing parents like to hear.

Answer 4

First off, I understand the hardship of both the Army and being an Army wife!  My hat is off to you!  Here again the Army lifestyle will impede your nanny plan!  Moving around every 2+4 years makes it real hard to establish a reputation as a good provider.  If you live on base, being a daycare provider may be more practical.  The base has to certify you and add you to a list of provides, but one AF bases they are in high demand!

Answer 5

Personally, I think a course like that is a bit of a waste if you already have experience and are comfortable caring for kids.  Maybe pick up a few library books on child behaviour, fun kid activities ect.  The truth is many people hire nannies strictly based on "feelings" not on what education you have, meaning if they like you, they will give you a chance.  But you should take a infant/child CPR/1st Aid course, and get a police record check.

I don't know where you live, but most cities have a wealthier area where many families hire nannies.  You can find families who are looking for full-time or part-time nannies, some will want standard M-F 8am-5pm, others may want you to be more flexible.  As a 1st time nanny w/no related college education, you can expect to make at least $10/hr (at least that's the going rate in my city).  I have a college education in a related field and when I worked as a nanny I was paid $12-14/hr.

Check out your local site of craigslist or kijiji