Every year, agencies and staff members quietly do the work that raises the bar for the entire industry. They screen more carefully than they have to. They mentor a new hire until that hire becomes someone else’s mentor. They handle a difficult placement with integrity instead of taking the easy way out. The APNA Honors Awards exist to recognize exactly that kind of work, and nominations for 2026 are open now through September 4. Winners will be celebrated at the APNA Annual Conference, October 14–16 in Charlotte.
Why the Honors Awards Matter
APNA Honors was created to recognize members for service and achievement that meets or exceeds APNA standards. Each nomination is reviewed by a committee looking for real, demonstrated impact, on clients, on caregivers, and on the industry as a whole.
Recognition like this does more than honor one agency or one person for a year. It sets a visible standard for what excellence looks like in household staffing, and it gives the rest of the industry something concrete to aim for. For nominees, it is validation of years of hard, often invisible work. For the industry, it is a reminder that the standards APNA holds members to are not just words on a page.
Last Year’s Honorees
In 2025, APNA recognized Seaside Staffing Company as Agency of the Year, Wendy Sachs of Philadelphia Nanny Network for Lifetime Achievement, Kasie Bennett of Your Happy Nest as Staffing Employee of the Year, and Eugenia Siero of District Sitter as Rising Star. Each of them started the same way this year’s honorees will, as a name on a nomination form submitted by someone who noticed the work they were doing.
The 2026 Award Categories
Every APNA member agency is eligible to apply or be nominated in one of four categories.
- APNA Lifetime Achievement Award, for leaders with at least 25 years in the industry who have made a lasting contribution to household staffing.
- APNA Agency of the Year Award, for a member agency that consistently upholds APNA standards, delivers outstanding service, and serves as a role model for others in the industry.
- APNA Staffing Employee of the Year Award, for an individual staff member whose leadership, teamwork, and professional growth have made a real difference.
- APNA Rising Star Award, for an agency in business seven years or less that has already shown strong potential and early success.
How to Submit a Nomination
Nominating someone takes just a few minutes.
- Identify the category that best fits your nominee.
- Gather a few specific examples of how they have gone above and beyond. Concrete stories carry more weight than general praise.
- Complete the nomination form before the September 4 deadline.
A note on eligibility: nominees must be a current APNA member and must attend the 2026 APNA Annual Conference in Charlotte to receive their award. You do not need to be a member yourself to submit a nomination.
Why Your Nomination Counts
It is easy to assume someone else will nominate the person or agency you have in mind. Most years, that assumption is exactly what keeps deserving nominees off the list. If a colleague, a staff member, or even your own agency has done work worth recognizing this year, take the ten minutes it takes to say so.
Nominations close September 4. Submit yours before the deadline, and join us in Charlotte this October to celebrate this year’s honorees.