APNA Response to ABC & NBC About Online Only Nanny Services
The View
320 West 66th St.
New York, NY 10023
March 10, 2008
Re: The Dangers of Online Only Job Listings to Hire Nannies
To The View,
Job listing services such as Sittercity should not be confused with nanny agencies.
We feel it is important to raise a red flag about your segment last week on Sittercity, a service that lists families and nannies online. Your guest stated that Sittercity allows users to “go through all the same steps that really expensive placement agencies do.” In our opinion that is not true. Some of the biggest problems with online job listing services are that they do not provide the personal investigation, matching and tools that a nanny agency uses to assure the confidentiality and security of its clients and its applicants seeking work.
Additionally, online job listing services can give the client a false sense of security by advertising a background check that offers minimum screening compared to what top notch nanny agencies would consider adequate. Many online job services, including Sittercity, allow parents to conduct an online LexisNexis background check for $9.99. Sittercity has a disclaimer that the LexisNexis check covers just 38 states (http://www.sittercity.com/help_detail.html?tag=bgcin). But some online job listing services call the LexisNexis check “nationwide” which can be misleading.
Top notch household staffing agencies require a computer background check, and much more, on each job candidate. Most quality agencies hire a seasoned professional to conduct background checks. You can read in detail about what a thorough background check entails on our web site at: http://theapna.org/blog.
Quality nanny agencies also meet each nanny candidate in person and check the candidate’s references and resume. Online job listing services often do not check qualifications or references. They simply advise parents to perform those tasks.
Careful, experienced household staffing agencies are the best way to protect children, but they also help ensure a job seeker’s safety. Katherine Olson of Minnesota was found dead last October, one day after she responded to an online ad for a nanny job. The 19-year-old man police suspect placed the ad, where he posed as a parent seeking a nanny, is charged with her murder and awaiting trial.
A responsible staffing agency knows when one of its job candidates is being interviewed, and the candidate is expected to report in afterward. The personal contact that a qualified agency provides is an added security measure for both candidates and the hiring families. That service also increases the chances a family will find a nanny that is right for them and decreases the chances of high turnover of nannies in their employment.
Additionally, many online job listing services post the nanny candidate’s picture with his or her job profile. Household employment attorneys do not advise posting candidates’ photos for both safety and legal reasons. Pictures can be a way for predators to choose victims or for potential employers to discriminate based on legally protected characteristics such as race or age.
The points listed above are the primary reasons that our organization does not grant membership to job services that operate only online. Below is a list of some APNA members who would be willing to speak with you if you are interested in more information about the safest ways to find and become household staff.
Sincerely,
Guy Maddalone
on behalf of the APNA Board of Directors
March 18th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Kudos for the response letter. Some of the other agencies in the Chicago area contacted me when Sittercity came to Chicago. Families require so much of a licensed agency that I cannot believe they entrust their children to people they have no introduction. I also feel the same way about Craig’s list. Why are they not making these applicants jump through hoops like they do us?