The Insiders Guide to Hiring a Domestic Agency & Nanny Agency

• How long have they been in business? Five years or more is a good place to start. Most of the best agencies have been established at least this amount of time.

• Are they bonded, California law requires it? Ask for proof. If they say they are licensed, beware. There is no such thing in California.

• Are they members of the International Nanny Association and/or any other professional organizations. The INA is the major organization for nanny agencies in the U.S.

• How do they check references? This is one of the most important ways to help protect families from incompetent or dangerous nannies. Many agencies do not fully check references. Does the agency inform you if they have been unable to contact a reference? Ask to see copies of the agency’s reference check sheets. If they won’t provide them beware. How many questions do they ask? And what do they ask? A good agency has at least a one-page reference check sheet that asks a variety of questions.

• Does the agency look for phony references? Is the staff trained to find them? Twenty percent of our applications contain phony references. Many times a good screener will know a reference is phony before the applicant even leaves the office. Agencies should be asking specific questions on the application and then matching that information when the reference is checked to be sure as possible that a reference is real.

• Does the agency take copies of ID and a photograph of the applicant? Can they tell phony ID when they see it? The better agencies have a complete set of the applicants ID and a photo.

• Does the agency verify California ID cards with the DMV and provide you with a DMV printout of the applicants driving record?

• Does the agency send each person placed for CPR, if they do not have a current certificate?

• Does the agency register each person placed with Trustline when there is childcare involved? Law in California requires Trustline, yet most agencies do not use it. Trustline does a criminal background check and checks the Child Abuse Registry. You can call Trustline at (800) 822-8490 to find out if the agency regularly registers people with them.

• Does the agency do a criminal background investigation? Trustline takes 4-8 weeks to get the results. A privately done background report, while limited to one county, will show any convictions in Superior and Municipal court.

• Does the agency charge the applicant a fee for the application and/or to get a job? The better agencies would never charge the applicant a fee. The applicants are generally out of work and in no position to pay. A diligent agency may only be able to place one in five applicants and to take money from people you know you can’t help isn’t right.

• Does the agency transport the candidates to your home and have an office that looks like central casting? The better agencies allow the candidates to get to the job interviews on their own, unless there are extenuating circumstances. They feel if someone is capable of doing the job they should be able to get to an interview on time using their own resources. Reputable agencies do not have offices that are full of waiting job candidates.

• Does the agency tell you about payroll taxes? Do they know that domestic workers are employees, not independent contractors? The agency should be able to calculate what the workers payroll taxes are for you. They should also work with a reputable payroll tax company.

• Does they agency send you a confirmation letter regarding their terms of engagement? Do they provide you with complete information on all the services they provide such as Trustline and CPR?