What if we told you about a child care situation that provided more individualized attention than a day care—at a lower cost? Sound too good to be true? A nanny share, quite simply, is when two or more families share a nanny. It’s an arrangement with many benefits, such as saving money, creating a personalized environment for both sets of kids, and giving parents more flexibility. Learn more about each benefit for your family here.
Significant Savings
The cost is usually the nanny’s hourly rate, plus an extra fee, the total of which should be split between the families equally (based on the number of children from each family the nanny cares for). With this arrangement, each family pays less than they would alone, while the nanny gets a slightly higher salary.
Personalized Environment
Your child gets more individualized attention, plus a nanny share allows your little one to socialize with other kids. The smaller group size will ensure each child is well cared for. Bonus: Fewer children means less germs—and less chaos—than in your typical day care classroom.
Flexibility
A nanny share allows you much greater flexibility than a day care center or group provider. Staying late at work? Need someone to take your child to swim lessons? Having another baby? These are all things nannies are typically able (and willing) to take on—even in a share.
A successful nanny share definitely takes a lot of advance planning and coordination, but it can be an excellent solution if you’re lucky enough to find the perfect nanny and a great family willing to share.
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