How To Hire A Nanny (2026): Step-by-Step Hiring Process + Checklist

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Few decisions feel as high-stakes for parents as hiring a nanny, which is why it’s one of the topics we’re asked about most often here at Peacock Parent. It’s also one of my favorite topics because hiring a nanny was one of the best decisions my partner and I ever made.

Our nanny started working with us when our son was six weeks old and has been with us ever since. She’s nurtured our kids, helped manage our household, and freed up time for self-care and date nights. While it’s a significant financial commitment, it’s been worth the investment in our children’s development, our marriage, and the overall health of our household.

That said, finding the right nanny can feel daunting. Hiring a nanny involves defining your childcare needs, sourcing and interviewing candidates, checking references and background screenings, and formalizing the hire with a contract and payroll setup.

I personally used a nanny agency, which helped with everything from writing a job description to conducting background checks and drafting a contract. The time saved and expertise gained from working with a nanny agency is invaluable, but if you do want to go about it on your own, I’ve put together this step-by-step guide on how to hire a nanny from start to finish. While the process can feel overwhelming at first, breaking it into clear steps will help you hire a nanny smoothly, legally, and with confidence.

How To Hire A Nanny: Quick Checklist

Below is a quick overview of how to hire a nanny. Keep reading for a deep dive into each item.

If you feel stuck at any step — from figuring out pay to interviewing candidates — a thinking partner for home life, like Proxy, can help you clarify next steps and avoid common hiring mistakes. Text Proxy — (820) 732-2625 — whatever question you have, and we’ll respond in less than 2 minutes with a clear answer. And don’t forget to save Proxy in your phone as a contact, just like you would a new friend. Once it’s saved, you can text Proxy anytime you’re overthinking — and we’ll help you solve it with one text.

Step 1: Define Your Nanny’s Role (Duties + Must-Haves)

Before you start writing your ad or interviewing, it’s a good idea to take some time to figure out exactly what you’re looking for. This will help you tailor your ad and interview questions to ensure you find the right candidate for your household and needs. 

I recommend identifying the top 3-5 qualities and skills of a future caregiver that are most important to you and rank them. For example, I wanted a young, but experienced woman who spoke English as a first language, had natural problem-solving skills, and was willing to travel with us. (Check out my post on the Top 6 Qualities Of A Great Nanny to learn more about what I was looking for.) 

If you’re having trouble defining your needs, here are some questions to think about: 

• What kind of relationship do you want with your nanny? Do you want them to be part of the family or do you see it as strictly a business relationship (i.e., you only talk about the kids)? Or maybe somewhere in the middle?
• Do you want them to have input and advise you, or stay quiet and do what you want when it comes to raising your kids?
• Beyond childcare, do you want them to take on additional household tasks, like basic meal prep?
• How much previous experience do you want them to have had? 
• What kind of educational background are you looking for? 
• Do you plan to have them travel with you?
• Do you need them to be able to drive your kids around? 
• What kind of demeanor are you looking for? I.e.) Do you want someone more extroverted or introverted? 

Step 2: Define Your Budget & Schedule

Next, you need to figure out how often you want your nanny with you, whether that’s on a part-time or full-time basis. If you and your partner are working full-time, the schedule could be quite clear: you need a nanny at least 40 hours a week.  

If you’re able to, I recommend hiring two nannies who each work about 30 hours a week. This way, in addition to support while you’re at work, you have extra help in the mornings and evenings. When you come home, you can go straight to your kids and be present while you have the nanny tackle any household to-dos you might have on your list. 

If hiring two nannies isn’t feasible, then I HIGHLY suggest scheduling your nanny for a minimum of one morning wakeup a week (have them start at 6 am) and one nighttime bath/bed routine to give yourself that break (have them end at 6 pm). 

If you’re hiring a nanny because you’re returning to work after maternity leave, I recommend hiring far enough in advance that your nanny can start at least a week or more before you return to work. That buffer makes the transition smoother for your baby and for you.

If you don’t have a current work commitment, don’t underestimate the time you need away from the children, whether that be a therapist or doctor’s appointment, lunch with friends, workouts, dates with your partner, or other life management appointments that keep you sane and healthy. 

After you have an idea of the schedule you want, look up the average salary in your area. If you want your nanny to have extra skills or take on additional responsibilities, like running errands, household tasks, and driving, be prepared to offer slightly more per hour. Other factors, like the number of kids you have and how many years of experience the nanny has, can also increase the rate. Check out our article on The Cost Of A Nanny: Everything You Need To Know for a more detailed breakdown of rates and other costs for part-time, full-time, live-in, and weekend nannies.

Step 3: Write a Nanny Job Description + Where to Post It

The next step in hiring a nanny is to write up what you’re looking for. Be sure to include the 3-5 qualities you’ve identified and be specific about the hours and when you want them to start. Your nanny job description should also include the number of children you have and their ages, and a little bit about your family.

If you have a dog or other pet, make sure to mention that in the ad too. Some people are allergic or have other reasons for not wanting to work in a house with a pet, so it’s better to be upfront about this early on. Finally, request a minimum of three reference letters.

Post your job ad at local colleges, libraries, and coffee shops, as well as on Nextdoor, Care.com, Sittercity, and other nanny sites. And spread the word amongst your friends. You never know who someone might know, and referrals are often the best way to meet someone! 

If you want to save time on some of these steps, but don’t want to commit to a nanny agency, Sittercity has a database of vetted, background-checked nannies with references and reviews. You can be super specific about your requirements, and you’ll get immediately matched to credible nannies to hire. You still have to sort through the results of your matches, but you’ll save time on posting and following up about your ad and conducting background checks.

Step 4: Review Nanny Applications

Read through the resumes you receive and also look each person up on LinkedIn to see if the profiles match. Directly compare the information — dates, schooling, work history, and gender — to the list you made in step one. You’ll need to put on your detective hat and look for any dates or work history that don’t match up. 

I also encourage you to look at the gaps in their resume. For example, did they leave a position after only 4 months, or try something completely different from nannying for a year?  Do your best to identify these gaps and jot down at least one or two unique questions for each applicant, such as what made them leave a job or why they went back to nannying after taking a hiatus. 

For any gaps or short periods of employment, you’re basically trying to figure out if it was due to a bad relationship with their prior employer, and if so, whether the issue was because of a bad employer or an insubordinate employee.

For example, if a candidate claims that they were let go because of cost-cutting measures or because the children aged out of needing a nanny, then you could ask, If this family had another baby, would you work for them again? If the answer is no, ask exactly why not. 

Step 5: Phone Screening Interviews (Fastest Way To Narrow Candidates)

Once you’ve narrowed down the list to 10-15 people, start with a phone or FaceTime interview to weed through applicants. For some sample questions, check out my post on How To Interview A Nanny.

Step 6: Contact Nanny References

Of the 10-15 initial candidates, try to narrow it down to 5-7, and request to contact their references by phone. Then, call each of those references. This is a critical step in the process of hiring a nanny that most people skip.

Most people assume no one would list a reference who would say anything bad about them, plus a previous employer will not divulge disparaging information about the potential employee in fear of being held liable. But a lot of people don’t know you can legally ask a reference if they would rehire this person. If they say no, then that’s a big red flag. 

You can also use this call to fact-check some of the things you’ve been told. For example, if the nanny says she took on additional responsibilities like meal prep or driving the kids around, you can ask the references about this to see how often this was the case and what it entailed. 

Talking to references can also be a good way to gauge if a nanny has certain skills you’re looking for. For example, if critical thinking skills are important to you, you can ask their references questions about this quality: is she/he good at thinking on their feet? Were they willing to take on additional duties? Do you trust them to make in-the-moment decisions? I’m planning to have them do X. Do you think they can handle that? 

Lastly, you might get such a glowing recommendation for one of your potential candidates that it tips the scales between two equally wonderful applicants. 

Step 7: Interview Your Top 3 Nanny Candidates In Person

Once you’ve narrowed down the list to your top 3 applicants, it’s time for the in-person interview process. It’s important to meet your potential nanny in person and trust your gut instinct about what kind of vibe you get from them. 

At this point, you’ve already done all the administrative work to evaluate a future caregiver by reviewing their resume, contacting references, and ensuring that they passed your initial round of questions. So think of the in-person interview as a meeting that’s all about your needs. The goal is to evaluate your comfort around this person.

For a detailed breakdown of the in-person interview process, including sample questions to ask, check out my post on How To Interview A Nanny.

Step 8: How To Conduct A Nanny Background Check 

After you’ve selected your top candidate, be sure to perform a background check to find out if they are listed in the child abuse, neglect, or sex offender registries or have any criminal or federal offenses on their record. This may feel like an extreme step after meeting what I assume is a wonderful person, but once again, this is a necessary step and one that people skip all too often because relying solely on intuition is easier than dealing with more “paperwork.” 

Checkr is a great site for background checks. PFC also specializes in background checks for nannies and other household staff. 

In California, TrustLine is a database of nannies and babysitters who have passed a comprehensive background screening by the state. If the nanny you’re interested in hiring is already part of the database, you can easily look them up. If not, you can ask them to be registered. 

Step 9: Consider A Trial Period 

Before drafting a contract and finalizing the process of hiring a nanny, I highly suggest establishing a trial period for two to three days. You can legally pay cash or write a check for services rendered for under $600 without having to create an Employer Identification Number or file additional tax paperwork. This is an opportunity to really make sure it’s the right fit. 

Step 10: How To Write Up A Nanny Contract & Set Up Taxes 

When hiring a nanny, some advice on finances: do not be tempted to pay your nanny under the table in cash, no matter how good of a relationship and understanding you think you have with them. The fact is that they’re an employee, and you need to treat the relationship that way in every way. 

If you choose to pay cash only, you also run the risk of being audited down the road when your nanny files for unemployment and doesn’t have any pay stubs to prove that they were an employee. Don’t skimp and try to save a few bucks when it comes to the person who will be caring for your child every day. By paying them as a legitimate employee and worker, you are also subconsciously building their confidence and making them more accountable for their actions. 

I recommend entering into a contract and having clear expectations for the role and established rules for paid time off, holidays, and hours. Click here to view and download a sample contract that I created. 

One more reminder is that you will also need to set up an employer identification number (EIN), and ensure you’re deducting the required amount for social security, Medicare, and federal and state income taxes from each paycheck and paying it to the IRS and state. It can be complicated, so I recommend hiring a payroll service that specializes in household employees, like GTM Payroll, to take care of this for you.

GTM will help to ensure that all the proper forms (W4 and I9s are complete), and get your bi-monthly payroll processed automatically so you don’t have to lift a finger. They will also register you as an employer with the federal and state governments, obtain your employer tax IDs, handle your new hire reporting to the state, and provide required forms for your employee to complete. Proxy subscribers get the $75 setup fee waived.

Step 11: Relax!

You’ve just gone through 10 intense steps on how to hire a nanny and countless hours to find the right nanny for your household. You’ve also just taken an important step to reclaim some of your time as a parent.

For tips on onboarding your nanny, you can download our free Nanny Training Action Plan template, which is the exact nanny training action plan we use in our household. This will help you set clear expectations for the job and train your nanny to understand your lifestyle and preferences.

If having a nanny in your house is a weird adjustment at first, I recommend installing a Ring camera in the baby’s room and the living room or main space where the nanny will be playing with your baby during the day.  (Note: Some states have laws that require you to disclose if you’re using a camera and prohibit putting one in certain private spaces, like bathrooms.)

Having a Ring camera will give you such joy and sincere relief because you can sneak a peek at the two of them having a ball while you are working hard or re-energizing.

How To Hire A Nanny: FAQs

Quick answers to some of the most common questions we get about hiring a nanny.