Nanny Care...
This type of child care is the most common type of "in-home" care. A nanny is a man or woman who comes to your home to care for your children. Some nannies live in the home with the family while others just come during certain hours. The cost of having a nanny varies according to the amount of work, hours and the living arrangement.

Au Pair Care...
(Pronounced au Par, French word meaning "on the same level," i.e., part of the family) - This type of child care involves having a person from another country live in your home for a maximum time of one year. An Au Pair will provide a maximum (by law) of 45 hours of child care (or some light housework) in exchange for a place to live and a salary. This type of child care is found through U.S. Government designated agencies. (See Resources.)

Friend, Neighbor or Relative Care...
To ensure that quality care is provided for your child/children, this informal type of care should follow the same guidelines as nanny or Au Pair care. Refer to the list of five steps and the checklist provided on this page.

1... Determine Your Needs
What is needed to provide proper care for your children?
Do you need someone to provide transportation to school, doctor's appointments and soccer practice? If this is the case, check motor vehicle driving reports and insurance coverage.
Does your child care candidate know infant and child CPR and first aid? Is the candidate a non-smoker?
These needs should be addressed when looking for child care.

2... Put It In Writing
Have your candidate fill out a written application that includes names and addresses of past employers. Before a qualified candidate is hired, write a detailed contract explaining what duties are expected from your in-home child care provider. A mutually agreed upon contract discussed prior to employment helps avoid conflicts and misunderstandings.

When contracting with an in-home child care provider, be sure to include the following points in the contract:

• List all of the specific duties to be performed by the provider.
• List hours and days the provider is required to care for children.
• Include salary to be paid, and any vacation or sick time that you will compensate the provider.
• Specify what you will provide in terms of room and board, meals, etc. (for live in providers).
• Specify how much advanced notice should be given in the event of termination of care.

3... Check References
Whether you are looking for full-time or part-time care, always check references thoroughly. Obtain at least three references and CALL them.

4... Conduct A Thorough Background Check...
A background check should include a health/medical screening and a criminal records check. A statement of health should be obtained from the candidate's physician to verify that the person is capable of caring for your children. It should state that the candidate is physically and mentally healthy. Also make sure the candidate is not taking any medication that would impair his or her judgement or temperament. A criminal record check can be obtained from the Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS). Be sure to find out what kind or criminal records check you are receiving. Is it a state records check or is it a FBI check? (See References for addition information.)

5... Look For Someone Who Has Experience Working With Children...
"You would not have an untrained mechanic work on your car; don't let an unqualified person care for your children." Find out what experiences the candidate has had working with children. If you have an infant, is the candidate familiar with the needs of infants? Since formal training is not required to perform in- home child care, find out where the candidate has gained his or her knowledge (classes, books, or experience).

Points to consider when choosing or entering into a contract with a placement service or agency:

• Obtain a detailed explanation of the services provided.
• Find out how they select their candidates.
• Does the agency offer contract support?
• What is the policy if the person you hire does not work out?
• Always find out about up-front fees that must be paid to the agency.
• Ask for references from other families that have been served.
• Are you allowed to review the candidate's application and criminal background check (if this was done through the agency)?
• What is the number of applicants to be furnished, and for how long?
• Spell out your specific requirements for potential candidates such as hours, duties, needs, etc.
• Is there a guarantee that the nanny will stay for a minimum amount of time?
• Will the agency furnish additional applicants at no charge?

Nanny...
The cost of care varies greatly by what is needed by each family. A basic guideline to go by is:
Part-time averages $10.00 - 15.00 per hour
Full-time averages $350 - $500 per week

Au-pair...
Average cost is $260 per week

If you or someone in your home is caring for another family's child more than 20 hours a month, you or that person must be licensed by the Child Care Administration. For more information, call 410-750- 8770.

Once you find a potential in-home child care provider, here are some questions to ask:

• Are you working now?
• Describe the work that you do.
• How long have you been at your present job? Why do you want to leave?
• What previous jobs have you had taking care of children?
• How many children did you care for? What were their ages?
• Do you smoke?
• What do you like to do with children?
• What type of activities would you do with children of my child's age?
• Do you have any children of your own? If so, what child care arrangements do you have for them?
• How would you get to work (if the person would not live in)?
• Do you have a current driver s license?
• Can you stay late occasionally if an emergency arises?
• Do you know infant/child CPR and first aid? Is your certification current?
• Do you have any health problems?
• Are you living in this county legally?
• Have you ever been arrested or convicted of a crime? If yes, what were the circumstances?

• The Professional Nanny by Monica Bassett
• Unofficial Guide to Child Care by Ann Douglas
• The Official Guide to Finding a Great Nanny and Keeping Her by Michelle Padilla
• The Good Nanny Book: How to Find, Hire, and Keep the Perfect Nanny for Your Child by P. Raffin
• The Complete Nanny Guide: Solutions to Parents Questions about Hiring and Keeping an In-Home Care giver by C. Thomas
• Outstanding Child Care with a Professional Nanny by A. Allison
• The Good Nanny Guide by Charlotte Breese
• How to Hire a Nanny: A Complete Step by Step Guide for Parents by Elaine S. Pelletier
• The Nanny Kit by Kimberly Porrazzo
• The Nanny Book: The Smart Parent's Guide to Hiring, Firing, and Every Sticky Situation In Between by Susan Carlton and Coco Myers

When hiring someone new, the employer must have the person complete Form I-9, which verifies that the person is able to work in the U.S., and Form W-10, which verifies the employee's identification number, which in many cases is his/her Social Security Number. The employee must file Form SS-4, which allows the employer to obtain a Federal Identification Number used to file IRS forms.

The employer is responsible for FICA taxes (both Social Security and Medicare taxes) for an employee who earns more than $1100.00 annually and must provide the employee with Form

W-2 by January 31 of each year. Beginning in 1995, Social Security and Medicare reporting is made at the same time as income tax reporting, April 15 of each year.* Withholding of income tax is not required for household employees. However, they should be given the choice. If the employee does choose to do so, the employer must provide the employee with a Form W-4 Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate.

By January 31 of the following year, the employer must provide the employee and the Social Security Administration with a Form W-2, a Wage and Tax Statement. Employers with more than one household employee must file a Form W-3, Transmittal of Income and Tax Statement. However, if the total cash wages paid to all household employees in any calendar quarter in either the current or preceding year is $1000.00 or more, the employer is responsible for paying Federal Unemployment Taxes (FUTA) on the first $7000.00 of wages paid to any household employee throughout the year, at a rate of 6.2%. The employer uses either Form 940 or Form 940EZ. Employers responsible for FUTA are also required to pay State Unemployment Taxes of which most may be credited against FUTA.

For your own taxes, you can claim tax credit for child or dependent care expenses such as in-home child care by using Form 2441. Most details can be found in IRS Publication 503.

Worker's Compensation Coverage is insurance that protects you in case your nanny gets hurts on the job. Check with your insurance agent for specific rates.

You may also want to check with your insurance agent to inquire about updating your car insurance. You may have to add your nanny to your policy or change the coverage to include commercial use of the car. If the nanny uses her own car, you may want to inquire about purchasing additional business and liability coverage for her on her own policy.

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

This list is provided as a service of Howard County Government. Howard County Government and/or any of its employees neither endorse nor recommend any service or agency listed in this guide. Screening of these services and/or agencies is the SOLE responsibility of the user of any of these services/agencies. When making your decisions for child care, keep in mind that nanny placement, referral services and in-home providers are NOT licensed by the Child Care Administration, nor are they regulated by any other government agency.

All American Nanny	1-800-3-NANNYS
A Choice Nanny	410-730-2229
Au Pair Care Cultural Exchange	1-800-4-AU PAIR
Au Pair in America	1-800-727-2437
Au Pair USA/Interexchange	1-800-AU PAIRS
A+ Nanny	410-322-1759
EF Au Pair	1-800-333-6056
Go Au Pair	1-888-287-2471
Loving Care and Home Services	410-992-4003
The Nanny Network	410-321-1566
A Nanny on the Net	410-636-6400

CJIS Central Repository Child Care Application Unit

410-764-4501 FAX 410-653-6320 P.O. Box 32708 Pikesville, MD 21282-2708

note: you can't check the criminal record of your nanny, but she can.

The charge for a search of the State of Maryland criminal history file is $18. The charge for a search of the nationwide FBI criminal history file is an additional $24. The fingerprinting fee generally runs $10 per person. This can be done at the following locations:

Howard County Police Department	410-313-2245 3410 Courthouse Drive Ellicott City, MD 2104
MD State Police (Waterloo Barracks)	410-799-2101 777 Washington Blvd. Jessup, MD 2079
FYI Fingerprints	410-418-4657 3696 Park Avenue, Suite 202 Ellicott City, MD 2104