A camera can give you a window into your child's day — or quietly erode the relationship with the person caring for them. The difference is almost entirely in how you handle it.
“For two working parents putting in 60 to 80-plus hours a week, a nanny cam can be their only window into moments with their kids they’d otherwise miss entirely.”
Tammy Gold, quoted in “How to talk to parents about nanny cams” on Care.com, September 2026
Most parents install a camera for the same reason they check the baby monitor: they want to see their child's day. That's a reasonable instinct. The problems come from how cameras are used — hidden, undisclosed, or turned into a tool for constant correction.
Used well, a camera is a window. Used badly, it's a slow leak of trust that can cost you a good 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.
Disclose cameras before you make an offer, not after something goes wrong. A nanny who knows where cameras are and why they're there can decide whether she's comfortable with the job. A nanny who discovers a camera she wasn't told about starts wondering what else she hasn't been told.
Say it plainly: where the cameras are, whether they record audio, and how you'll use what you see. Put it in the work agreement too.
That's information — about the match, not only about the nanny. Parents who feel they need to check the camera all day are often describing a relationship where trust hasn't formed or communication has broken down. The fix is usually a better structure for check-ins and feedback, not more cameras. How to build a communication system with your nanny.
Rules differ by state, and audio is treated differently from video. Many states require everyone's consent before a conversation can be recorded, so a camera that records sound can create legal exposure even where video alone is fine. Check your state's rules, and speak with an attorney if you're unsure — Tammy can help with the conversation, not the legal question.
Tammy can join the conversation with your nanny — so the camera policy is agreed, not imposed.
Screening call, reference questions, clinical interview, trial-day checklist.
Download free ↓Tammy joins your interviews, reference calls, trial debriefs, and onboarding. $189 / 60 min.
Book Tammy →Or text (818) 308-1358 · info@caremapmethod.com
Tammy provides expert guidance; she is not a placement agency and does not run background checks. Hiring decisions remain your family’s.