Tag Archives: nanny

Bell Family Company

What Sitters & Nannies Are Saying About Being Apart of Bell Family’s Childcare Provider Team

Our sitters and nannies are saying some great things about being apart of Bell Family’s childcare services team. Our women-run business has an established reputation for quality and excellence in childcare, and our childcare providers agree! Read below as sitters and nannies share their positive experience working with our team and all of our wonderful families.

Working with Bell Family Company has been such a phenomenal experience! It’s a fantastic way for someone who loves babysitting and working with children to be put in touch with amazing families throughout New York City.

Erin, sitter with BFC for 6 years

Bell Family does a fantastic job of pairing sitters and families. They’re meticulous in ensuring that the sitters have adequate information in regards to times, addresses, and backgrounds on the children and families. Their experienced in-house team run a very professional show, and always respond to their sitters and families needs immediately. A great experience on all levels – wonderful families, responsible sitters, and very proficient manage.

Shannon, sitter with BFC for 2 years

I became a sitter with Bell Family last year and it has changed my life in so many positive ways. I wanted to find a babysitting job to make some extra cash on the side, but BFC has provided so much more than that. I have met such incredible families who have had a profound impact on my life. It’s so wonderful! While I feel I can be a positive influence and make a difference in the lives of these children – they are also making a difference in mine. I am so grateful to be a part of the Bell Family team.

Laurie, sitter with BFC for 3 years

I’ve been working with Bell Family for over 2 years and I am happy to be one of their most active sitters! While I work as a full-time Actor, I am relieved to spend the other part of my life around the wonderful children and families that are associated with BFC. The children I have met have enriched my life, and I hope I have enriched theirs. It’s a wonderful gift to be able to work with such a fine company, and such playful children.

Laura, sitter with BFC for 2 years

I’m completely in love with the family you paired me with! You guys did such a good job placing me with them! Perfect match.

Larissa, nanny with BFC for 2 years

I am really, really happy working with the family you paired me with. They are super nice (thoughtful, grateful, kind, generous, respectful, good with communication) and their kids are just so sweet, lovely and perfect! Honestly, they might be the nicest people I have ever worked for and I am extremely grateful and excited to continue my long term journey with them.

Cynthia, nanny with BFC for 2 years

I tell everyone about your agency – you guys are truly the best! Again, thank you for giving me the chance to do something I love and something that I believe really matters (being a great role model for children).

Sandra, nanny with BFC for 1 year
Bell Family Company

What Families Are Saying About Bell Family’s High-Quality, Reliable Childcare

Our member families are saying some great things about Bell Family’s childcare services. Our women-run business has an established reputation for quality and excellence in childcare, and families agree! Read below as families share their positive experience working with our team and fun-loving and experienced sitters, nannies and family helpers.

We have used Bell Family Company services for over six years and are so impressed with the wonderful babysitters sent to us. Every one of them has been capable, loving, knowledgeable and fun! My children get so excited every time they come over.

Betsey, mother of 2

I wanted to let you know my 3-year-old endorses your sitters, always! He remembers them and asks for them by name, and even when we have someone new he is beyond quick to say goodbye to me. I couldn’t be more thrilled with that!

Heather, mother of 1

As a busy mom and entrepreneur, I don’t have a fixed schedule. Bell Family Company gives me the best of both worlds: the absolute highest-quality child care — but only when I need it! Their sitters are dynamic, fun and safety-conscious. I get the flexibility I need with the peace of mind I demand.

Elise, mother of 3

Thank you so much for sending two amazing girls to help with our event. They were adorable and full of energy, and all of the kids and mommies loved them. They didn’t stop moving for one moment and were consistently asking what they could do, how they could help, etc. They are such professionals, it’s simply a pleasure!

Annie, Owner of Blast Events NYC

The party you helped us with was AMAZING. The kids had so much that no one wanted to leave! Some of the kids even came up to me and said it was the best birthday party they have ever been to, and to promise to have another one next year just like this one. Thanks to your awesome family helpers who made this last minute birthday party a big success!

UES Mom

I wanted to thank you for your hard work getting us through a very difficult transition of hiring a full time nanny. I’m not sure what we would have done without you! We had worked with another agency last fall, and the difference in experience was night and day. We were very impressed with the quality of candidates you sent us, as well as with your judgment as to who would be a good fit for us.

Cissie, mother of 2

To learn more about Bell Family and the services we provide, visit our website!

Bell Family Company

Bell Family Team Brings In Top Talent

The Bell Family team is a group of dedicated women who work together to recruit the best childcare providers in the business. Each nanny candidate we source experiences a thorough vetting process before fully joining our team. All nanny candidates are 1) directly referred by someone we know or recruited from one of our trusted sources, 2) college educated, working professionals, students or career childcare professionals, and 3) prescreened through an extensive online application (it is over 60 questions).
After our recruitment team reads through the application we proceed with the following steps:

  1. Schedule a preliminary interview over the phone.
  2. If the candidate passes the preliminary, he/she is scheduled for an in person interview (Facetime for non-local candidates).
  3. At the in person interview, the candidate completes a Nanny Assessment Test that examines both their emotional and psychological responses to each question. The test is graded according to our standards. Each candidate must pass the test to advance in the hiring process.
  4. The candidate meets a member of our Nanny Services Team to complete the interview, including a work history form (i.e., names of all employers, their address, phone number) and information about the job (i,e., ages of children, schedule, what they did at the job).
  5. Our team member and the candidate review their resume to learn more about the candidate.
  6. The candidate provides proper legal documentation (two forms), and a photo.
  7. Each candidate completes and passes a national background check which we subsidize to bring cost down for them.
  8. Our team then completes a social media screening.
  9. Three of the candidate’s references are called via phone by our team member (who was an educator for 30 years). Each reference must be a childcare reference and pass through acceptable criteria set by our Agency.

 
Once the candidate has successfully completed the steps above, he/she is accepted to our Agency and is in communication with our team about jobs that are a fit for them. Each candidate has the opportunity to attend our bi-annual CPR and First Aid Training, as well as receive on-going coaching, prepping and check-ins to stay up to date on all childcare information.
We continually review the candidates’ profile based on family feedback and their communication with us. We choose to only work with the best nannies in the business. If a nanny does not pass through our Agency’s criteria or proves to not be a fit for our Agency based on our team’s or family’s feedback, we will remove that candidate from our Agency.
To learn more about our full list of services, click here.
Linds-Brooks
Written by our Founder & President, Lindsay Bell

Safety

Safe and Sound on the Job

In today’s world, it’s important that childcare providers (sitters, nannies, etc.) are keeping the children and themselves as safe as possible. Here are some helpful quick tips to keep in mind while babysitting, and for a full list, read here.

1. Telephone Safety
Make sure you have a fully charged phone to call or text the parents if you have a question, or there is an emergency. Nothing is more stressful to a parent than the sitter not picking up or responding.
2. Personal Safety
Make sure you are healthy when you care for children and that you are aware of your surroundings (i.e., have the parent or doorman watch you get into a taxi or uber at the end of the night).
3. Danger from Strangers
Never leave the home without the children. Do not open the door for anyone you do not know unless it is communicated by the parent.
4. Other Safety Considerations
If you feel you or the child(ren) are unsafe in a situation, remove yourself and the child(ren) out of that situation.
5. Safety Inspection Checklist
Be predictive and prepared to prevent injuries, drowning, falls, etc.
6. Preventing Accidents and Injuries
Prevent it as much as possible by being present and aware. Recognize the problem and then fix it.
7. Being Prepared for Weather Emergencies
Be smart and proactive. If the weather is going to be bad before an appointment, reach out to the family and make sure they are still on, and come up with a plan to get home safely.
8. Violence or Crime

  • Be aware at all times!
  • Avoid drawing unwanted attention.
  • Know how to exit fast.
  • If you hear gun fire; lie down with the children for cover.
  • If the home looks like it has been broken into; do not enter. Call 9-1-1

9. Play it Safe!
Always watch a child at all times especially in and around water.
Firefighter
List pulled from the “American Red Cross Babysitter’s Training Handbook”

Sitter/Nanny

Five Key Findings in Recruiting and Retaining Nannies

If you haven’t read it somewhere else before, then read it here first; hiring a nanny through an agency is the route you should always take.

In a recent article posted by GTM Payroll Services, they go on to support the fact that when a person hires a nanny through an agency, rather than an online job site, they’re going to get a better quality nanny. One they’ll keep for longer, and spend less time finding the right match.

Here are five key findings from the article:

1. Families and Nannies Both Want a Good Fit
Employers cited “demonstrated responsibility and trustworthiness” as the top quality they look for when hiring a nanny. Employers were asked to rank 14 qualities on a scale from one to 10 with one being not important and 10 being very important. Responsibility and trustworthiness scored ahead of personality fit, passion for childcare, references, and experience.

2. Good Communication Practices Will Help Retention
Forty-three percent of families hired more than one nanny in the past five years. That means retention can be an issue for families who like and want to keep their nanny. Some of the top reasons reported for why nannies leave the jobs are 1) the family no longer needs the nanny, 2) schedule/number of hours, and 3) bad pay.

3. Hiring through an Agency Can Shorten Hiring Process
Seventy-four percent of employers who hired through an agency cited “time savings/hassle-free process” and “quality of candidates” as the top reasons they chose to work with an agency. Fifty-nine percent of agency users spent less than 20 hours on the hiring process, compared to only 24% of online job site users.

4. Benefits Can Help Attract, Retain Top Candidates
Most nannies receive paid holidays (88%), paid vacations (89%), and paid sick days (76%). This is the starting point for families when offering household employee benefits to a potential hire. To separate themselves from other employers, families may want to consider offering annual bonuses and flexible hours. Only 47% of nannies have schedule flexibility and just 44% get a bonus. Of the nannies that receive an annual bonus, 55% receive at least $750.

5. Paying Legally Expands Number of Candidates
By not legally paying an employee, a family cuts in half the number of available candidates for their position. Forty-six percent of nannies say it’s not likely they would take a job that paid “off the books.”

Read more details about the survey findings from GTM Payroll here.

Bell Family Company

Hire Your Nanny Through an Agency!

GTM Payroll Services conducted a survey on the advantages to hiring household staff through an agency. The findings of their household employment survey of families and nannies made it clear that hiring a nanny through an agency, rather than using an online job site, saved time, boosted retention, and reduced the stress and hassles of bringing multiple nannies on board over a short period of time.
A family that hires through an agency instead of an online job site will receive a higher quality nanny, spend less time searching for the right match, and will ultimately find a nanny that they’ll keep longer.
The supposed benefit of using an online job site is having a wider selection of candidates. However, 83% of respondents who used an online job site said that the number of responses from unqualified candidates was one of the biggest drawbacks of going online to find a nanny.
See the full article “Why You Should Hire Your Nanny Through an Agency,” for more information on the survey. Also, see this handy infographic that illustrates the advantages for a family that hires through an agency versus an online job site.
GTM-trim
This blog has been repurposed from GTM Payroll Services Inc.

Activities

Benefits of Playing Guitar Are Greater Than You Think

Guitar and music lessons can be much more than just another hobby. Playing an instrument provides a great break away from the busy every day life, and cannot only benefit those as an individual, but those with families as well. So, why not bring a care-free, mind-relaxing activity into the daily routine?
Guitar by Anthony Music School will help with just that, by teaching how music works, specifically guitar. We had the chance to team up with Anthony to learn more about his teachings through the Q&A below.
Q: Many sitters, nannies, moms, and dads can use a break from the day-to-day grind. Why is learning or playing the guitar such a great way to break away from the busy city life?
Playing any instrument is a great way to maintain a quality of life. The guitar is portable which is a plus, and it’s a great healthy way to escape the grind of the day-to-day life. The benefits are many. Stimulating your brain and spirit just to name a couple. It also can be quite grounding as well. It teaches you to be in the moment as it increases your focus, which can benefit you in other aspects of your life.
All this in turn can help in adding fun for nannies and adults playing with kids to keep them engaged in songs and music. Perhaps creating a game-like atmosphere, which can make your job easier, while practicing your guitar skills. The possibilities are endless to how this can positively impact a child.
Q: What are some of the benefits you’ve experienced from teaching and playing guitar yourself? 
Some of the benefits for me personally would include reaching goals and growing constantly. Always striving for more. The guitar can be an outlet as well.
Teaching guitar is also rewarding. To witness growth in someone else is always a thrill. Lessons can also parallel life lessons (at least in my classes), and teaching reminds me of lessons learned too.
Performance is another reward. When there’s an exchange of energy between the audience and myself it is truly transcendent – making all the efforts worth it. I too, have developed good habits in time management and multitasking as a result.
Q: How does an adult playing guitar in front of a child benefit them?
An adult playing in front of a child will help to inspire them if they witness the joy in the adult playing. They will want to take part in the fun. The benefits of that will lead the child to learn and grow in multitasking and time management. Of course, we all know how it can benefit their studies as well, due to focus and some of the previously mentioned benefits.
Just think, all of this just by the mere fact that they wanted to have fun! Which is what it’s all about.
On another note, which may be a bit off topic, I’ve witnessed very shy and introverted kids grow into very outgoing, brave, and strong individuals just because they found refuge in music. To think this could have started by watching an adult play is extraordinary.
Anthony-guitar2
Written by our Marketing & Social Media Consultant, Taylor Bell

Childcare

What Are Your Kids up to While You're Away?

Have you ever wanted to know what your kids are up to while you are away? Daily Nanny helps to give a comprehensive view of just that in their app!
We recently had the opportunity to team up with the creators of the Daily Nanny app, to learn more about how it works, and why parents everywhere should add this to their download list. Read below for our Q&A!
Q: How can a user download the app? Is there a fee associated with it?
Daily Nanny is a one time charge of $4.99 to get access to all app features. Visit the iOS app store or Google Play to download.
Q: What does a user do once the app is downloaded/opened?
For parents, when you first open the app you’ll sign up, enter some basic information, enter your kids information, and then invite your nanny. Then you are brought right into the app and you can start using it right away! Not only can nannies use Daily Nanny to keep parents informed, but parents can also use it to keep spouses informed, or just use it as a way to store meaningful information about your kids early years. Parents can keep track of naps, meals, medicine etc, and store photos as well.
For nannies, you sign up, and if you were invited by a parent, you’ll see the kids you care for right away. If not, you can enter the kids you care for and invite their parents to use the app. Nannies can keep track of hours and overtime as well, so parents and nannies are always on the same page.
Q: How do I navigate the app? What information and tools are available to me within the app?
The app is very simple to use. There are four tabs. For parents, the first tab gives you a timeline of everything that has happened today, including meals, naps, photos and more. The second tab is a photo gallery of all the photos you or your nanny has uploaded of your kids. You can comment on photos, save them to your device, and share them with friends. The third tab is a group messaging thread between you, your nanny, and anyone else added to receive notifications about your kids. And the fourth tab lists your kids, detailed information about them, and allows you to go back in time and see what was entered in the past!
For nannies, everything is the same except for the first tab. You can clock in for the day and track your hours, see how much money is owed for the week, as well as manage all your shifts in the past. You can mark shifts as paid and enter/edit shifts in the past.
For a  video walkthrough of the app and additional information, check out the Daily Nanny website!
Daily Nanny copy
Written by our Marketing & Social Media Consultant, Taylor Bell

Bell Family Company

Bell Family Teams Up with FDNY

To continue with CPR awareness from last week’s blog on CPR parties, we wanted to share Bell Family’s CPR training partnership with the FDNY team.
On September 6th, Bell Family hosted the FDNY to conduct their quarterly CPR training seminar to our sitters and nannies. The FDNY has been working with Bell Family for over six years, and we always appreciate them taking time out to help us be the best caregivers we can be.
FDNY went over Adult CPR, and had the caregivers practice on dummies. They learned all steps to performing CPR, and practiced chest compressions while humming along to “stayin alive”.
Our Nanny Services Manager, Lauren, then taught Infant and Child CPR, also while reviewing what to do if a child is ever choking, and basic first aid care.
It was a great night for all, and always a great refresher to know what to do in all situations while caring for infants and children.
Bell Family thanks everyone for coming, and we look forward to the next training! For any further information on what was learned, please contact us directly!
CPR-training
Written by  our Nanny Services Manager, Lauren Kruk

Bell Family Company

Bell Family in Connecticut

Bell Family has been servicing the Greenwich, CT and surrounding southern CT/Westchester County areas for approximately five years. It all started when our families began to move from the city to expand their families.
Greenwich Moms.com’s founder, Layla, recently did a feature on our company and three of our super sitters in the area. Our sitters in the Greenwich area are all college educated, have valid driver’s license, and are experienced childcare providers and LOVE kids!
To read the feature, click here !
We are excited to meet more families, as well as sitters and nannies in the area! If you are interested in joining our group, please e-mail us at [email protected].
House
 
Written by our Founder & CEO, Lindsay Bell