Washington, DC

Choosing a nanny agency in Washington, DC

Since October 2023, DC requires a written contract for domestic workers and covers them under the DC Human Rights Act. A good agency will raise this before you do. If you live in Maryland or Virginia, different rules apply where the work happens.

By Tammy Gold, LCSW
Author of Secrets of the Nanny Whisperer (Penguin)

Tammy Gold, LCSW, MSW

Columbia University

20 years placing & training nannies

Book an hour with Tammy — $189 →

Hiring in the DC area

DC-area schedules are long and often unpredictable, from Hill hours to federal and consulting work and frequent travel. Guaranteed hours, clear overtime terms and a plan for late nights protect the relationship.

If the nanny works in DC but you’re in Maryland or Virginia part of the week, ask a payroll provider which jurisdiction’s rules apply.

DC rules that apply to you

In most placements, you, not the agency, are the nanny’s employer. That makes the household-employment rules your responsibility.

A written contract at hire. The Domestic Worker Employment Rights Amendment Act of 2022, effective October 1, 2023, requires one. DC’s Department of Employment Services offers a template, and you should make a reasonable effort to provide it in her preferred language.

Anti-discrimination protections. Domestic workers are covered by the DC Human Rights Act.

Minimum wage. DC’s minimum wage is $18.40 an hour since July 1, 2026, and it rises most Julys.

Paid sick leave and family leave. Domestic workers are entitled to paid sick leave under DC’s Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act; for employers with fewer than 25 employees, it accrues 1 hour per 87 hours worked, up to 3 days a year. DC’s paid family leave program also applies.

Pay, tax and labor rules vary by state and city. This guide explains common practice; a household payroll provider, accountant or your state labor department can confirm what applies to you.

Secrets of the Nanny Whisperer by Tammy Gold, published by Penguin

FROM THE AUTHOR OF SECRETS OF THE NANNY WHISPERER

Guidance from the therapist who wrote the Penguin book on hiring a nanny

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.

Book an hour with Tammy — $189 → Press and media

How to tell a strong agency from the rest

Every agency describes itself as the best. These are the signals that separate a great one:

It asks about your child before it sends résumés: temperament, routines and your parenting style, not just hours and budget
It sends a few strong candidates, not a stack
It explains its screening in specifics: who checks references, how, and what they ask
Its fee and replacement terms are in writing, including what triggers the fee and what voids the guarantee
It’s clear about the legal side: whether it helps with payroll and local rules, or leaves them to you
It lets you talk to families it placed a year or more ago

Questions to ask a Washington, DC agency

Do you provide a contract that meets DC’s domestic worker law?
Do you place nannies in Maryland and Virginia too, and do you explain the different rules?
How do you screen, and what do you verify yourselves versus leave to the family?
How long is your replacement guarantee, and what does it require?
Can I speak with Washington, DC families you placed more than a year ago?

Hiring on your own instead?

Many families find a great nanny without an agency, through referrals, local parent groups and job sites. You save the fee and take on the screening yourself: interviews, reference checks, a paid trial day and a written agreement. See how to hire a nanny.

Where Tammy fits in

Tammy Gold, LCSW, is not an agency and has no stake in which candidate you choose. By video, she works with families in Washington, DC and anywhere else: defining the job, reviewing candidates an agency sends, joining your interviews, and planning the first 30 days with your new nanny.

Questions to ask an agency How agency fees work The agency agreement Agency red flags Replacement guarantee Agency or on your own?

EXPERT HELP, ONE HOUR AT A TIME

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Evaluate agencies and the candidates they send
Tammy joins your interview as a second set of eyes and ears
Plan the offer, the trial and the first 30 days

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The Nanny Hiring Kit

Screening call, reference questions, clinical interview, and trial-day checklist.

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Questions first? Text (818) 308-1358 · info@caremapmethod.com

Tammy is not a placement agency and has no affiliation with, or financial interest in, any agency, daycare or payroll service. She provides independent expert guidance; decisions remain your family’s. Legal, tax and licensing questions belong with the appropriate professional or state agency.