Need ur advice - how to find a good nanny ? (Austin: daycare, home)

[aus_lr]

Whats the best way to find a good experienced nanny in Austin ?
There are so many organizations/websites - not sure which is the best one to join to find a nanny .. concerned about finding a good nanny who can be trusted especially since its for our newborn.
Being a new parent, any advice on this from experienced parents most appreciated.
thanks!

[centralaustinite]

Try Hire-A-Longhorn!

Seriously. I have many friends and neighbors who have found excellent caregivers that way. For a newborn you can look for someone with a nursing or child development background. If you need regular 8-5, five day a week care, a high quality daycare cannot be beat (but it is expensive and if you didn't get on a wait-list during pg you may out of luck)

[mimimomx3]

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

Try Hire-A-Longhorn!

Seriously. I have many friends and neighbors who have found excellent caregivers that way. For a newborn you can look for someone with a nursing or child development background. If you need regular 8-5, five day a week care, a high quality daycare cannot be beat (but it is expensive and if you didn't get on a wait-list during pg you may out of luck)

I second Hire A Longhorn! That's a great suggestion...I've found some amazing student workers from there, but mostly for babysitting, as you point out, they're students, so not really working for full time work.

[gigi927]

If hire a longhorn doesn't work, try Mom's Best Friend service or Mommy Mixer :: The Original Babysitter Network Event - you pay $100 to go to a social event with other moms and tons of gals looking for both full and part time nanny work - and you go home with a huge book of resumes as your ongoing resource.

[aus_lr]

Thanks so much for all ur suggestions! will try out both of these asap!

[i29gtaylor]

Have you ever thought about a nanny share? We will be looking for this when we relocate later in the year... we had one in Chicago and it worked out great.

[aus_lr]

dont know much about nanny share, how does that work ? any suggestions on how to find another family for nanny share ? thanks again!

[Trainwreck20]

I have a friend who shares a nanny with a neighbor...not sure if that is what you are talking about. Their kids are about 2 weeks apart, so it is very convientent and cheaper than having a 'private' nanny. The kids also get to 'play' together (although they are a bit young for that right now). Of course, you still have to find a nanny you like AND someone to share them with, I suppose, so it is more of a cost thing, I am guessing....

[i29gtaylor]

Yup, pretty simple. Find a family with a child similar in age and split the cost of a full-time nanny. We would have to pay at least $12 per hour for a nanny ($480 per week) but with two kids they typically charge $15 per hour ($300 per week). Also, the kids get to socialize, learn to share, etc. The key is finding a family you enjoy, ironing out all the details (each family's hours, where the kids will stay, etc.) and getting a great person to watch the kids. There's a bit of work up-front but I think it's a great way to do things.

[carawill]

I am also having problems finding care for my infant...Are you still interested in nanny sharing? This is so hard!!