When finding the best nanny to fit you and your family’s needs there should be a long and detailed process to make sure those needs are met. You want to be able to feel comfortable and at ease with the person that is responsible for taking care of your children. To begin, you and your family should sit down and make a list of the qualities and characteristics you are looking for. Whether or not you yourself are going to find a nanny or you are going to hire a company, it will make finding the perfect nanny easier. When you feel you have a good idea of the characteristics you are looking for in a nanny then you should begin your search. We all know that someone can possess these attributes on paper but that is not a guarantee that they will hold those qualities in person. Therefore it is a good idea to find several individuals that possess the qualities that you are looking for instead of just one. Once you have narrowed the search down to your top five people that look good on paper, you then should start the phone interview process. This will contain questions regarding their experience, qualifications, and references. Nannies should obtain at least two years’ experience working with children but you should always prefer them to have more than four. Some persons may have six years in childcare but it doesn’t always mean that they have six years’ experience with all ages of children. Some individuals have strictly only worked with one of the following: infants, toddlers, teenagers, or children with disabilities and that’s one of the reasons why you should do a phone interview. It will save you and your family a lot of time and worry. You should always make sure that they are experienced and qualified in caring for your specific child. When finding the right candidate for the position they might have the experience but are they qualified? Were they good at being a nanny? What made them go into this line of work? Do they possess any special qualities that make them different from any other nanny? What do they like most about being a nanny? Are they willing to get down on the floor and play with your children? Asking these questions will give you the answers that you need to find out if they contain the qualifications it takes not only to be a nanny but to be a great nanny. If a nanny is not CPR certified you should require them to attend an eight hour course to make sure they have obtained the training to become certified before caring for your child. One way you can verify these individuals experience and information is by speaking with references. You should request three to five childcare references from each person. This can also help you and your family get a better idea of type of qualities they displayed with past employers. Some families provide a vehicle for their nanny to be able to transport their children to and from school or to other activities. Some families on the other hand do not and the individual is required to use their own vehicle. Through the interview process it is vital that you verify that the individual have a working, safe, and reliable vehicle. Whether or not they will be transporting the children in their own vehicle or not you still need to know that you can trust them to make it to work on time. You should also validate that they retain current auto insurance and Driver’s License. After the process of a phone interview and you and your family still feel the individual is a good candidate you should then set up an in person interview. The in person interview will consists of similar information we went through in the phone interview but will give you a chance to get to know them as a person and what qualities they have that they didn’t mention. When you meet with them you should require them to provide a copy of their driver’s license, car insurance and CPR certification if they already don’t have one. It is important to get a copy of these materials so you are able to run a Criminal background check and to keep a copy of each on file so you will have the option of running a background check every three months. A background check every three months is suggested to ensure the safety and security of your children. After the interview process is completed and you have called references, verified information, and reviewed background checks. You and your family should then again narrow your choices down to the top three individuals that you feel will be a great fit for you and your family. Make sure to rank your choices in order of your preference so that you can offer them the job in that order. It is good practice to have more than one acceptable option in case your first choice does not accept the offer. By following these simple steps, it will not only make the process of finding a nanny easier and less stressful but will result in finding the perfect nanny that fits you and your family’s needs.