Parents are feeling the squeeze between being available for work and finding a nanny for their children. The fall out from the COVID-19 Pandemic is still having long-term consequences on all aspects of our lives. While lockdowns are hopefully in our rear-view mirror, mask mandates are beginning to ease, and more businesses are open, all industries are experiencing labor shortages. There are “Help Wanted” signs everywhere you turn! The childcare industry is no exception. Teachers, nannies, daycare workers, mother’s day out, and in-home group care workers are all in high demand.
“Many factors affected the turn to nannies”, said Lydia Brown, founder of Chicago Collegiate Nannies. “People who previously had kids in daycare found them closed; those who depended on family members were hesitant to do so amid the pandemic, especially if older relatives were more vulnerable to coronavirus. Families with au pairs encountered immigration issues as borders tightened. “All these forms of child care disappeared,” Brown said. “The market got completely flooded with families.”
During the height of the pandemic, parents had to learn how to balance working and meeting their children’s needs in the home together. Today, many of them are now back in the workplace, or
some other type of hybrid work setting. Some kids are back in the classroom or daycare settings, masked or unmasked; however, many parents aren’t comfortable with children being exposed in large group settings. They aren’t the only ones who are worried about exposure.
Teachers, daycare workers, nannies and babysitters also worry about exposing themselves and their loved ones. Many have left the field to pursue other endeavors. These workers, many who were already underpaid, were forced out of their jobs because of the nationwide shut down, not being vaccinated, or their employers were unable to keep them due to their own job loss. Those who were lucky enough to be paid legally, were able to get some relief with unemployment benefits, Workers who were paid “under-the-table” or “cash-in-hand” weren’t so fortunate.
Quality nanny agencies like Choose The Right Nanny https://www.ctrnanny.com are currently overwhelmed with phone calls from parents who are desperately seeking to hire long-term care for their children. These parents have already attempted to find care on their own through friends, family, and ultimately popular paid nanny sites, only to find the amount of time and effort they have to put in is really frustrating and exhausting. The results are either underqualified or higher priced candidate options, and not a lot in between.
“What we’re seeing right now is crazy in our industry. The pricing has gone up so much in terms of what families have to spend to get a high-quality caregiver,” said Rosalind Prather, co-founder of Trusting Connections Nanny Agency. ““We’re seeing this desperation and we’re hearing it in the voices of the parents who are calling us,” Prather said. “Parents are willing to take shortcuts and what happens when you take shortcuts is you end up with someone unsafe in your home or you end up putting yourself in a situation where you’re not doing things legally for the sake of expediency.”
https://www.kold.com/2021/08/30/how-find-safe-child-care-during-pandemic-related-nanny-shortage/
Agencies are also struggling to find great care providers and are having to “wait list” families. Nanny searches that used to take anywhere from 2-6 weeks to fill a position are now taking 4-10 weeks and sometimes longer. High quality nannies are now in the highest demand we have seen in decades, and the cost to employ one of them reflects this.
“We have lots of families on our waitlist right now trying to get in with us and unfortunately we are having to turn people away, because we just don’t have the supply of nannies for the amount of families who are in need right now,” says owner of Perfect Fit Nanny Jennifer Hassett. Before the pandemic, an entry level nanny position at her company was around $15/hr. Now, her agency won’t post a job for less than $20/hr. An experienced nanny can easily run a family for $30/hr. including paid vacation days and holidays.”
Experienced nannies in higher markets have always cost a premium; however, now in even smaller markets those nannies are asking for and receiving offers that weren’t common just a couple of years ago. Full-time, experienced nannies in large markets (like New York or California) who were accustomed to making between $35-$50 per hour and are now earning $45-$60+ per hour.
In markets such as Texas, Arizona, and Florida an experienced nanny who used to make between $20-$35 per hour, is now making $25-$45+ per hour. In places like Nashville, Washington DC, Seattle, and even some places in the Midwest, nanny wages are up significantly. Families are using other enticements to attract better candidates. These include: sign-on bonuses, retention bonuses, more paid time off, health insurance or stipends, educational contributions, and more.
Kristina Blum, who works as a placement provider for Your Happy Nest Nanny and Babysitting Agency. She has run the company’s Cincinnati, Ohio, office for almost six years. Blum said “the nanny shortage is nationwide. Other agencies across the country tell her company they are facing the same low supply. One possible factor boosting demand is that, as the delta variant of COVID-19 spreads, parents worry their children may suddenly be pulled back out of school. Over the past two weeks, new cases have increased 44%, hospitalizations have grown 53%, and deaths have more than doubled — raising the specter of renewed restrictions such as virtual learning. The scarcity of available nannies has led to the hourly cost of nannies soaring.”
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/nanny-shortage-higher-wages-pandemic
Hiring a nanny has always been a luxury for the average family. It is the premium solution to a family’s childcare needs. Nannies can provide one-on-one care, specifically tailored to meet the expectations of the parents and the needs of the child, all while minimizing the family’s exposure to COVID and other illnesses. Obviously, group care is the least expensive option; however, the two types of care are vastly different, as are the types of families who choose these options.
My best advice is to be realistic, start early, and be patient. Parents need to carefully evaluate which qualities, level of experience, education, are important to them, and importantly understand, the market has changed. You will most likely not find an experienced, legal nanny for what you, or your friend, or your neighbor paid previously. Keep in mind the more your dream list grows, the more you must pay to hire a nanny. 
For example, hiring a nanny who has 2-years experience, provides normal quality care for your child, provides enrichment activities, nurturing, preparing meals for them, straightening up the daily mess, and giving you peace of mind is going to cost you at least $20 or more per hour.
Hiring a nanny who does all of the above, and has 10 years experience, goes above and beyond, is very flexible with the schedule, speaks a second language, has a college degree, cleans house, stays overnight, home educates, travels with the family, uses their own car to transport your child, helps with parental/family laundry, organized closets, walks the dog, cleans up animal waste, etc. etc. etc…is going to cost you at least $35 or more per hour.
As an agency owner, an employer, a mother, grandmother and a former nanny, I am a nurturer. I want to help every family who calls! Unfortunately, we are not miracle workers. We cannot find you a nanny in this market at yesterday’s rates. As I’ve stated previously, hiring a nanny isn’t for everyone. This pandemic, and other economic situations, have made it less feasible, or even impossible for some families to hire a nanny in today’s market. On the other hand, nannies and other childcare workers have been under valued for years. These essential workers give so much of themselves to our families, nurturing, guiding, mentoring our most precious children, all while supporting their parents. Perhaps it’s time to recognize and compensate them for the value they ultimately add to our lives.
Parents who truly desire to hire a nanny for their children must provide a competitive compensation package to attract the right type of talent. An agency can be your best resource to finding the perfect person for your family. We have years of experience in recruiting high quality care for private families. We provide excellent screening, insight, and can guide you throughout the hiring process.
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