What is a “Share Care”?
A “Share Care” is any arrangement where multiple families (most often two) join together to hire the same Nanny to care for their children. With preparation and planning, a Share Care can be a great way for families to get the benefits of a professional Nanny for their children while sharing the costs. We have a series of detailed postings on our blog about Share Care arrangements and the unique issues that they can present. Click here to read these postings.
Our experienced placement counselors are very happy to help find professional, pre-screened candidates that meet the needs of Share Care families. For Share Care searches, we are likely to have the best results when there is a single contact person for the group.
How do I find a family to share a Nanny with?
The best place to look for a Share Care family is nearby, in your own community or neighborhood. If the families in the Share Care live nearby, then no one will need to travel too far, and daycare and school schedules are more likely to coincide. Letting friends, neighbors or other families in your children’s school or daycare know that you are looking to share a Nanny is a wonderful way to reach out. You can also post an ad for your Share Care in a local paper, on a community mothers’ club website or newsletter, at a local parenting resource center, or on a job board at your community or recreation center.
How do I choose the right family for a Share Care?
To ensure the best chances for a long and successful Share Care arrangement, you should partner with another family who is looking for a similar or complimentary schedule and similar hourly wages for the Nanny. You should also consider how long the other family wishes to employ a Nanny and their level of commitment to a Share Care arrangement. Make sure that everyone’s long-term goals match.
It is also important that you meet any family with whom you are considering sharing a Nanny. The first meeting could be at a coffee shop or local park, anywhere that you feel comfortable meeting. If you think it could be a match, arrange to meet at one another’s homes so that you can get a better understanding of the family you might be working with and see the environment where your child will likely be spending time.
Here are several important factors to consider as you evaluate potential Share Care families:
• How old are the children? If the children are close in age, the Share Care can be a wonderful opportunity for your child to have social interaction with another child close in age. Additionally, it will minimize the volume of gear that will need to be transferred between houses; it will minimize issues related to feeding and napping schedules, activities, and discipline; and it will increase the chances that both houses will have similar childproofing.
• Do you feel comfortable talking to the other family? Do you feel like you can communicate openly? Strong communication between the Share Care families will be essential as you work through the Nanny hiring process and the many decisions that will have to be made during a long and successful Share Care relationship.
• Do both families have similar child rearing philosophies? You should consider what each family’s approach is towards such things as nutrition and eating habits, napping, outdoor activities, discipline, childproofing, and spending time on the computer or in front of the television.
What can I do to increase the likelihood that the Share Care arrangement will work in the long run?
First and foremost, put everything in writing! Both Share Care families should have a written agreement or set of guidelines to ensure agreement up front on the major issues the group is likely to face. The Share Care Agreement between the families should address such questions as:
• Where will the care be provided? If the care will not be provided in both homes, will there be compensation provided to the host family for things such as energy costs and wear and tear on the home and toys?
• Who will provide the food for the children and the Nanny?
• Do both families have adequate liability and workers’ compensation insurance coverage?
• How will payroll and expense reimbursements be handled? Click here for a helpful article about a Share Care family’s legal obligations regarding payroll and taxes.
• How will the families manage and agree on reviews, raises and bonuses for the Nanny?
• How will the vacation schedule for both the Nanny and the families be managed? Will vacations be coordinated? What will the families do when the Nanny takes a vacation?
• What can or should a family do if their child is sick? Agreeing on parameters will minimize concerns about one child exposing others to illness or distracting the Nanny as she provides additional care for a sick child.
• What happens if a family wants to leave the Share Care or a new family wants to join the Share Care? Changes in the group may have financial impact and may change the dynamics of the group.
Separately, the Share Care group should have a single written work agreement with the Nanny to set her and the families’ expectations.
What are the financial considerations of a Share Care?
One of the main reasons Share Care arrangements are so appealing is because the cost of employing a Nanny can be shared. The cooperating families are able to split all of the costs, so if two families hire a single Nanny, the ongoing costs to each family can be just about cut in half.
For tax purposes, each family participating in the Share Care is considered to be a separate employer. Click here for a helpful article about a Share Care family’s legal obligations regarding payroll and taxes.
Families should also consider how the cost should be adjusted (if at all) if one home will be used more often than another. Also, having families leave or join the Share Care will affect these issues, and families should consider ahead of time how they will be handled.
I want to begin my Nanny search with your agency, what's the next step?
With 25 years of experience, we are well equipped to assist you in structuring a successful Share Care and finding the perfect Nanny. For Share Care searches, we have found that we achieve the best results if we have a single contact person within the group.
Our team of Town & Country Placement Counselors stands ready with an extensive pool of professional Nanny candidates who can assist you with your Share Care needs. Once we have the details of the assignment and a signed referral agreement, we will begin your search! Call us during our business hours, Monday - Friday 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, to talk with one of our trained Placement Counselors or to arrange a personal meeting at one of our Bay Area offices.
 Peninsula: 650-326-8570
San Francisco: 415-567-0956
East Bay: 925-627-1377
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