AGENCY...to be or NOT to be

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4 Comments
Originally I thought that using an agency was necessary, so I researched the top 4 nanny agencies that seemed the most credible in Canada. They typically charge one month’s worth of wages as their fee (so about $1,000-1,200), in addition to the $1,000 cost of the LMIA (Labor Market Impact Assessment…don’t worry this will make sense the more you read) and (approx.) $1,000 to fly a nanny to Canada. I found one agency that works with foreign workers that are already here and the rest fly them over. The agencies all seem fairly legit and do guarantee that if the nanny isn’t working out, they’ll replace them, but I couldn’t come to grips with two things: 1) why I was paying someone else to do work that I could do myself (hello…I am on mat leave after all), and 2) there were so many restrictions put in place by the agency that didn’t fit well with how we’d like to welcome the nanny into our home and support them in assimilating with our family and culture, and 3) since I would need to put in the work to do an exhaustive local search first, why pay an agency to do the second half of the work (the foreign search should the domestic search not turn up any candidates). 


Soooo after doing a great deal of research I met with two friends in the area (both with live-in nannies), they both said that using an agency wasn’t necessary. They said conducting a local/domestic search and subsequently applying for the LMIA if your search is unsuccessful isn't really that bad and thus I decided to take on the challenge.

My motivation to support other parents in finding a nanny on their own (sans agency) is because:
1) it’s more cost-effective,
2) I think the only reason some people don’t find a nanny themselves is because they’re apprehensive about whether or not they can (here’s where my blog comes in), and
3) (and most importantly) because through my experience in putting in the time and effort to do the work myself, I feel that I’ve become far more connected and invested to the whole experience of childcare for my son.


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4 comments:

  1. RhiannonSeptember 25, 2014 at 5:20 AM

    Hi Jenn - I'm curious about this statement: "there were so many restrictions put in place by the agency that didn’t fit well with how we’d like to welcome the nanny into our home and support them in assimilating with our family and culture". What do you mean by that, what kind of restrictions? What did you want to do that was different? Thanks!

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    1. Jenn ElyseSeptember 25, 2014 at 3:34 PM

      Great question. I think the agencies probably vary greatly in this regard, but I found when I was researching them that a lot of them had different stipulations. One agency had a guideline about eating dinner with your nanny which was that you were required to eat with them every night. Now I should be clear, I fully plan on welcoming our future nanny to eat with us every night, but having an agency actually put that restriction/guideline on us felt overly controlling. The other example comes from conversations I've had with families who used agencies. Most of the agencies say that they'll replace a nanny who isn't working out at no cost, but "working out" is quite subjective, and I had heard from families that some of the agencies make it quite difficult to proceed with this. They have guidelines around what constitutes a nanny who is and isn't working out. Now again, I am confident that our future nanny will be a great fit and that all will go well, but the thought of potential conflict with an agency over something like this didn't sit well with me. I think they probably put more restrictions on families because the restrictions (like eating dinner together) actually help ensure a successful experience, but I suppose I'm more comfortable being in control of these sorts of things, and consequently taking accountability for how it works out.

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  2. StefanieDecember 11, 2014 at 10:01 AM

    Hi Jenn,

    First of all, thank you very much for directing me here from my FB post! It's a great blog with so much useful info :) This is sort of a vague question, but how did you go about seeking and hiring your nanny on your own? is there certain resources that had information on how to do this (hopefully, step-by-step)? or is it one of those things where you spend countless hours/days researching to do this? I'm a little worried as we need a nanny hopefully by August, but we haven't started any processes yet, and haven't even decided what route to take with all these changes in rules/regulations on December 1st. Would it be too rushed/risky for us to take on this challenge still in your opinion? thanks again for any help - really appreciate it!

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  3. StefanieDecember 11, 2014 at 10:08 AM

    OMG - nm, i just saw at the top the "sponsorship process" which has the whole thing written out, doesn't it - sorry!

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I am SO excited to have my son, Logan, provided with the one-on-one care of a nanny in our home. The process of recruiting and keeping a nanny seems intimidating at times and there are so many things to think about and consider. The goal of my blog is to support, encourage and empower parents who are considering and pursuing the path of a nanny.

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Hi! (not sure the exclamation mark was necessary, but I'm just excited to say hello). My name's Jenn. I am a passionate mom, non-profit executive, real estate hobbiest, and athlete. I'm an enthusiastic person with a growth mindset. I love learning and growing every day!

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I'm Jenn. I'm a mom, animal lover (vegan), and non-profit leader who is all about sharing resources and having FUN. I lead an active lifestyle that includes a plant-based diet and lots of running, cycling, swimming, outdoor recreation, kayaking, and all things active and outdoors.

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