How to find nannies in your community

Whether you’re a new nanny or a seasoned nanny, finding nannies to network with in your community can be a long and sometimes lonely path.  For this reason, it’s important to make connections with other nannies in your area. But how can you go about reaching out to your nanny community?

Make an investment in some simple marketing materials.  Business cards, brochures, fliers and postcards are easy to create, and several sites including VistaPrint.com, Moo.com and InkGarden.com offer great prices on printing.  Include your basic contact information and why you’re looking to connect, and perhaps even a suggested date and time to meet up at a local coffee shop. Create a dedicated email address to include on your materials to help secure your privacy.

Go to the places where nannies will be.  Parks, libraries, local toy stores, music classes, mommy and me type classes and local children’s clothing stores are places where you may run into other nannies.  Local community bulletin boards are a good place to look for flyers where nanny groups may advertise meetings.  Consider posting a flyer of your own that says you’re looking to connect with other nannies in the area. Many places have policies for posting or handing out information, so make sure to check with management before doing so.

Connect with the local agencies that place nannies in your area.  I recommend meeting with agency staffers face to face to introduce yourself and to get to know the staff. Bring business cards or a flyer for the agency to share with other nannies who are also looking to make connections.  Discuss ways in which you can work jointly to bring the nannies in your area together for support, networking and social events.

Host an event for nannies in your area.  Some nanny groups host a nanny-child picnic in the summer at a local park, which is fairly easy to arrange.  Pick a date (make sure to pick a rain date), a park and a general meeting spot, and let the nannies know they should bring their charges, their own children, their own lunch and beverages and a game or toy to play with outside.   Consider hosting a local event for National Nanny Recognition Week or National Nanny Training Day.  Each of these events brings national attention to nannies and could bring more awareness to your local nanny community about the role nannies play in families. Let local nanny agencies know about your event and advertise it in your community.

Use local online event calendars in your area.  Patch.com is a popular site that has community calendars site users can add events to.  Parent groups and local parenting publications may also offer online calendars that accept postings. Be sure to check the policies of the outlet prior to posting.

However you choose to reach out to the nannies in your community, building a network of nannies is an important part of being a nanny, and the benefits of connecting with other professional caregivers is worth the effort required to make initial connections.  Chances are if you’re seeking to connect, there are nannies out there who are wanting to also.  Be it an informal nanny dinner group or a structured nanny support group, connecting with other nannies can be accomplished in a variety of ways.

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