10 Ideal Backgrounds for Live-In Nannies


Posted on April 30, 2012 by admin | in Background Check

Hiring a nanny can be a daunting task, especially if your favorite candidate has limited experience working as a live-in childcare provider. In some cases, however, a prospective nanny’s strong background in other areas can indicate an aptitude and strong potential for success in the childcare industry. Here are ten backgrounds that might make hiring a newer nanny worth the risk.

  1. Nursing – Those that have experience working as a nurse are not only likely to have exemplary working-under-pressure skills, but also will have the requisite CPR and First Aid skills for a career working with little ones.
  2. Emergency Medical Technician – Like nursing, an EMT background with some experience working with children is an ideal starting point for those looking to make the switch into the childcare industry. Thinking clearly in a high-pressure, high-stakes environment and strong medical knowledge are two of the most valuable traits a childcare worker can have.
  3. Childhood Development or Child Psychology Studies – Recent college grads with limited work experience but a strong background in Childhood Development or Child Psychology studies show not only a dedication to working with children, but also the education level desired by most parents searching for a live-in nanny.
  4. Daycare Center Work – Because daycare workers tend to have many children in their care, making the transition to full-time, live-in care provider for a few children is likely to be seamless.
  5. Pre-School or Pre-K – Like daycare work, handling a classroom full of pre-schoolers certainly indicates and ability to multi-task, a sincere love of children and a working knowledge of childcare basics.
  6. Elementary Education – Few jobs in the education sector are as challenging as teaching elementary-aged children. A nanny candidate with experience as a grade school teacher is a great find, even if they have no live-in experience whatsoever.
  7. Comes From a Large Family and Has Extensive Babysitting Experience – Though it may seem small in the face of working-world experience, being an older sibling to several and holding a strong history of babysitting is one of the best prep courses for a nanny. Caring for children that lived with them and could not be easily escaped is the closest thing to working as a live-in that anyone without experience or children of their own could ever know.
  8. Volunteer Work With Children – If a prospective nanny had a paying job in a field not related to childcare before changing industries, but a strong history of volunteer work in a childcare capacity, it shows a love of children and a desire to work with them. In many cases, a career in another field is only taken due to difficulty finding the nanny position they dreamed of.
  9. Strong Live-Out History – A nanny who’s worked as a live-out full-time provider and is willing to make the move to living in is, on paper, ideally suited to a live-in position. Assuming that their track history as a live-out comes with great references and their resume otherwise meets requirements, there’s no reason to pass up a traditionally out-living nanny that’s willing to make a change.
  10. Nutrition or Physical Training – As the focus on childhood obesity, poor eating habits and sedentary lifestyles becomes sharper, more and more parents find themselves searching for a solution. Hiring a nanny with a nutritionist or physical education background might be the perfect solution to this dilemma.

Regardless of their resume, some candidates will be appealing to you while others may not be. It’s important to use good sense when reviewing resumes and conducting interviews, but also to rely on your intuition as a parent when it comes to choosing the person that will care for your child.

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