Both routes can lead to a wonderful nanny. The right choice depends on your time, your budget, and how comfortable you are running a hiring process from start to finish.
| Agency | On your own | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Agency fee on top of wages | Mainly your time, plus any job-board or background-check costs |
| Time | Agency sources and pre-screens | You post, sort, call and screen |
| Candidates | The agency's pool | Your network, referrals and job boards |
| Screening | Varies by agency; ask exactly what they do | Entirely yours |
| If it doesn't work | Usually a replacement guarantee | You start again |
| Final decision | Yours | Yours |
Tammy Gold, LCSW, spent years matching families with nannies before writing Secrets of the Nanny Whisperer (Penguin). Today she works beside families, and their agencies, as a neutral expert: defining the job, interviewing candidates, checking references and setting up the first 30 days.
An agency changes how you find candidates. It doesn't change your job as the employer. Either way, you'll define the role, interview, check references, run a trial, sign a work agreement and onboard your nanny. The complete nanny hiring guide walks through each step.
There's also a middle path: hire on your own with an expert guiding the process, or use an agency with a neutral expert beside you. That's what an hour with Tammy is for.
Not automatically. A good agency screens well and saves you time, but great nannies are also found through referrals. The quality of your own process matters most.
Often yes, but read the agency agreement first. Some charge a fee if you hire anyone they introduced, and some have rules about parallel searches.
She helps you define the job, prepare the interview, check references, plan the trial and set up the first 30 days, in one-hour sessions you book as needed.
Agency or on your own, Tammy helps you hire well. $189 for an hour.
$189
Screening call, reference questions, clinical interview, and trial-day checklist.
Download free ↓Questions first? Text (818) 308-1358 · info@caremapmethod.com
Tammy is not an agency and has no affiliation with, or financial interest in, any agency you use. She provides independent expert guidance; hiring decisions remain your family’s. Legal, tax, and licensing questions belong with the appropriate professional or state agency.