How To Find Great Child Care : Tips From The Nanny of The Year - Jo Barrow

Nearly 11 million American children under the age of 5 are in outside care according to Child Care Aware in their 2012 report.  Families are entrusting their children to caregivers in record numbers when they go off to work each day.

How do parents ensure they are making the best possible choice when it comes to caregivers? Jo Barrow, the newly-named 2013 Nanny of the Year, has great advice and tips for parents that are exploring child care options.
How to Find a Great Child Caregiver

• Start the search: by asking the experts – Personal referrals, when a great care giver is leaving her current position, may also be invaluable as they can lead to a wonderful relationship. Agencies, while expensive, can offer the best selection of qualified candidates. The INA is a great resource to tap.
• What to ask in the interview? Scenario based questions, 'What would you do if……a b c happened?"  What are your thoughts on discipline, what techniques do you prefer? What aspects of the job do you particularly enjoy/not enjoy?
• Red flags? Little or no previous experience. No references or weak letters of recommendation. Can’t provide proof of legal status.
• Check it out: Background checks are a must, even if you're going with the nanny of a good friend who you've known for years.

How to Keep a Great Caregiver

• Start with the right set-up:  Write a detailed job description.  Dedicate enough time to work with the new Nanny, side by side, to show her the ropes, your preferences and expectations.
• The hand-off:   Some parents take a few days with the Nanny before leaving her alone with their kids; others may want to wait a week.  Barrow recommends spending 2 full days together.
• Keep the lines of communication open.  A parent should schedule times for weekly check-in meetings to make sure your children are happy and well-cared for.
• Make sure your caregiver knows how much you appreciate her/his efforts.

A pretty, intelligent and articulate Englishwoman, Barrow could easily stand in for Mary Poppins on Broadway, but she’s the first to tell you that she doesn’t have any magic up her sleeve. Rather, she depends on great training, her love of nurturing and her ability to establish a rapport with children and their parents.

"Children come in all shapes, sizes and personalities. Some are smart and studious, others can be mischievous and fun-loving but they’re all different and pose different challenges,” says Barrow.  “As a nanny you need to understand and work with each individual taking into account his or her needs, capabilities and the overall family dynamic. It’s that ability that defines a really skilled caregiver.”


Joanne Barrow (42) is a Professional Career Nanny from England with over 22 years of experience in the care and development of children from ages 1 thru 15. Although she practices the utmost discretion, she has been sought out by some of the wealthiest and most well known public figures in the world.
In addition to the substantial impact through her ordinary daily activities, she has:

• Successfully coached families through major lifestyle transitions and challenges such as the loss of a parent, divorce, emotional disorders and adoption.
• She has participated in numerous programs and workshops focusing on growth and development, health, safety and Child Day Care Management.
• She graduated with distinction in 2002 from The International Butler Academy in The Netherlands where she studied house management and butler training. TIBA is a world-renowned institution, which prepares graduates for exclusive positions in private service around the globe.
• She studied Children’s Etiquette and became a certified consultant through The Protocol School of Washington in 2004. Joanne instills the value of proper manners, acceptable social graces and behaviors into the daily lives of her charges.

Joanne maintains deep and lasting relationships with all of the children she has cared for. Watching their continued development as independent, well adjusted, honorable children, teens and young adults brings ongoing rewards and a deep sense of pride that Joanne feels no other profession can begin to compare to.



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