Continuing Education Classes: Child and Family Nutrition

Coast to Coast Nannies is excited to announce that, as promised, we are ready to roll out our continuing education classes for nannies and families! Our first offering is a three-part series presented by Lara Fields from Feed Nutrition Consulting. This series with be three one-hour long virtual classes covering the topics of transitioning to solids, effectively handling picky eating in children, and family-oriented meal planning and preparation. Lara is a busy working mom of two herself and a former Mom Boss who fully appreciates the vital role nannies fulfill.

These classes will be both informative and interactive with allotted time for questions and conversations. All participants will receive take home information so they can focus on being present during the classes and not concerned about taking notes. After the final session, each nanny will receive a certificate of completion they may add to their resume or portfolio. The classes will be held on Wednesdays: January 5th, February 19th, and March 2nd from 7:00-8:00pm CST (8-9pm for our DMV nannies and families). The total cost for all three parts is $75.

Parents, we encourage you to consider covering the cost of the class if your nanny is interested in participating. We firmly believe that continuing education classes for nannies are lacking in an industry where it is of the utmost importance to maintain a current knowledge base. Investing in your nanny’s hypothetical box of professional tools will directly benefit your child(ren) and family. This can be a great addition to their holiday bonus or gift!

To register yourself and/or your nanny, follow the link here: Coast to Coast Nannies & FEED Nutrition: Child & Family Nutrition Classes Tickets, Wed, Jan 5, 2022 at 7:00 PM | Eventbrite

Please check out Lara’s bio below and we hope to have you join us in January!

Lara Field, MS, RD, LDN is the owner/founder of FEED Nutrition Consulting, a private nutrition consulting practice in Chicago - www.feedkids.com. Specializing in pediatric nutrition and digestive diseases like celiac disease and inflammatory bowel disease, Lara not only utilizes creative ways to plan a healthful menu, but also teaches parents and caregivers techniques that will leave a lasting healthy impression on their children. As a mom herself, Lara always strives to provide realistic, practical guidance for busy families. Lara always has had a passion for kids' nutrition. She has over a decade of experience in clinical practice at two of the top ranked pediatric hospitals in the country, Lurie Children’s Hospital and University of Chicago Medical Center. Lara is specialist in pediatric nutrition. She is interviewed frequently from various nationwide media including FOX, NBC, ABC, WGN, WCIU, Fitness, Men’s Health, Runner’s World, and Parenting magazine and quoted in publications on her perspective on everything from infant feeding practices to celiac disease and the glutenfree diet.   Lara received her Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She completed her Master of Science degree and dietetic internship from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois.

The Holidays are Upon Us!

Every year we get an influx of e-mails from past clients around the holidays asking about bonuses and gifts for their nanny. So here is all the information you could wish for this holiday season!

The typical holiday bonus for a nanny is 1-2 weeks’ pay. If your nanny has been with you less than one year, it is standard to prorate the bonus accordingly. If possible, we love the idea of giving your nanny’s holiday bonus to them earlier in December so they can use it as-needed for travel, buying gifts, or other expenses incurred at that time of year.

Another common inquiry is if we have any ideas on a small gift to include alongside the bonus. Anything handmade by your child(ren) will be great appreciated- an ornament for the tree, a picture frame, even a hand drawn card will undoubtedly be kept for years to come. If you are looking for a store bought gift, something to make your nanny feel extra welcomed and comfortable in your home can be a hit. For example, a pair of nice cozy slippers or a personalized coffee mug for them to keep in your kitchen. If your nanny uses her personal vehicle for driving your child(ren) throughout the work day, a gift card for a car wash and detail is a practical, meaningful gift. Car seats, muddy shoes, snacks, and little handprints leave marks on nannies’ vehicles that may otherwise very well be a kid-free car.

We know that holidays can be hectic for everyone, but we encourage you to extend paid time off to your nanny if possible. Nannies often regularly work more than 40 hours per week without breaks; pouring time, effort, and love in to your family; it is always greatly appreciated to give them time to recharge and focus on their own families.

Lastly, we want to acknowledge the fact your nanny may not celebrate the same holidays as your family. This can be a great learning opportunity for all parties. To the extent all parties are comfortable sharing, maybe your nanny has a holiday treat she would love to bake with your children or fun tradition she can introduce. We encourage you to keep an open dialogue so everyone feels valued and satisfied with the nanny-family relationship.

Frequently Asked Questions for Candidates

We hope this information will be helpful for nannies applying to Coast to Coast Nannies during their job search.

·       Do you charge any fees for nannies?

o   We do not. Coast to Coast Nannies is a totally free service for nannies looking for their next position.

·       How quickly can you place a nanny?

o   We always have open positions and get new ones in each week. Most nannies accept a position within two weeks of applying to our agency, but this will vary based on the jobs we have available and what the nanny is looking for in their next position.

·       Are there any benefits offered?

o   Yes, we require that all of our clients offer market standard benefits such as guaranteed hours, paid vacation, paid holidays, and paid sick days. We also have positions that offer health insurance stipends.

·       What other services does Coast to Coast Nannies offer candidates?

o   Resume writing

o   Professional development classes

o   Group playdates

o   Ongoing support throughout the duration of the placement

·       What qualifications are required to apply?

o   At least three years of childcare experience

o   Ability to pass a full background and driving check

o   Verifiable references from former positions

o   Legally eligible to work in the United States

Frequently Asked Questions

We hope this information will be helpful for families considering enlisting Coast to Coast Nannies for their nanny search.

When should we start the nanny search?

o   Families typically come to us 4 weeks from their target start date, but can accommodate any start date

How quickly can you place a nanny?

o   Our goal is to not make families feel rushed in to a quick hire even if their timeline is tight. When possible, we offer a complementary placement of a temporary nanny for a week or two to allow for childcare coverage while the family can focus on hiring a long-term nanny. We have successfully completed many placements within a 1-2 week span.

What are the PTO expectations for a nanny?

o   Two weeks paid vacation, paid holidays, 3-5 paid sick days

What are Guaranteed Hours?

o   Guaranteed hours means that it is expected your nanny will be paid for her regular schedule 52 weeks per years even if your family chooses not to utilize their full services.

What duties fall under household management?

o   Household management is the umbrella term for tasks that keep the household organized and running smoothly outside of deep cleaning. The most common examples are: laundry, errands, grocery shopping, meal prep, and keeping household items stocked. More in-depth tasks may include managing contractors, routine maintenance on vehicles, pet-related duties such as vet and grooming appointments, managing the family calendar, planning and booking events or travel.

How many candidates can we expect?

o   In general, most of our clients hire within the first 3-5 candidate presentations. We are intentional in our work, only presenting candidates that meet the family’s desired qualifications and logistical criteria. We value quality of experience over quantity of options.

What happens if our placement doesn’t work out?

o   Coast to Coast Nannies offers a 90-day replacement guarantee. Within that timeframe, we will do a full replacement search free of charge.

Where do you source your candidates?

o   Most of our candidates come to us via word of mouth. This includes colleagues of nannies we have already placed, families that will no longer need their nanny’s services, or nannies that we have known personally and professionally for many years. We also use online recruiting resources.

Coast to Coast Nannies

Four years ago, Gold Coast Nannies was a fledgling nanny agency with big dreams. We envisioned an agency that parents trusted and nannies wanted to be represented by. We did not want to be a revolving door of clients and candidates. Instead, we vowed to build our network based on genuine connections and true understanding of what makes a nanny-family relationship flourish.

We are an agency fully owned and operated by former career nannies. We have been the nannies overwhelmed with the bittersweet emotions of having to move on from the little hearts and minds you’ve poured unending love and patience into while simultaneously excited to find the next kiddos to take under our wing.

Now, we are the working parents that have felt the gravity of hiring someone to care for the most important part of our lives. To welcome a stranger in to our homes and share the joys and stressors of child raising alongside them. To crave the balance of a caregiver that will respect our wishes as a parent, but also enrich our children’s lives in ways we hadn’t considered.

The name Gold Coast Nannies has served us well in the initial stages of building our dream, but we have grown bigger: geographically, personally, professionally. We have more to offer our clients than securing quality nannies. In 2021, in the midst of a pandemic and adding second children to both of our families, Sarah and Bridget realized that our clients need and deserve so much more from us. Why do we routinely get emails from clients at 3:00am when they are up feeding their newborns? Why do we routinely read those emails at 3:05am when we are also up feeding our own babies? Because the nature of our job is not 9am-5pm. The nature of parenting is not 9am-5pm. New, growing, and busy families need many levels of support and we feel an overwhelming sense of responsibility to fill that void.

Our candidates are just as near and dear to our hearts. It feels disingenuous to place a nanny or household manager and send them out in to the world without continuing to shape their career. We want to offer our candidates opportunities for career growth. Opportunities to connect with other professional domestic workers. We know how isolating the job can feel, especially during a pandemic. Everyone needs a sense of community and support at work even without having direct coworkers. Furthermore, we want to celebrate and encourage all domestic workers, even outside of our direct network.

And now without further ado, we are extremely excited to introduce you to Coast to Coast Nannies: Household Staffing and Support. We will continue to offer the same core services of nanny, household manager, and night nanny placements, but will be expanding both the client and candidate sides of our agency.

For clients, we want to support you from pregnancy through parenthood. Services such as post-partum doulas and prenatal through post-partum personal training will be offered. Entering in to parenthood and growing your family is equally beautiful and stressful. Coast to Coast Nannies does not want parents’ needs to slip through the cracks while all of the excitement is focused on the new baby.

For nannies, we want you to feel empowered and supported in your career. Coast to Coast Nannies will be implementing affordable monthly professional development and continuing education opportunities. We value the work you do day in and day out and will continue requiring our clients to offer fair market wages, guaranteed hours, paid vacations, holidays, and sick days. We appreciate you entrusting us to be your advocate and allowing us to be a vital part of your working life.

Coast to Coast Nannies directly services the Chicagoland and DMV metro areas with plans to expand further. We have been honored to have such wonderful clients and candidates thus far and are truly humbled to be a business running primarily on word-of-mouth referrals and personal recommendations. It has been an amazing ride and we are just getting started. Onward and upward!

-Sarah Meadors and Bridget Roden, Coast to Coast Nannies: Household Staffing and Support