Nanny Shares: What They Are & How They Work

Nanny shares have become an increasingly popular childcare option for families in recent years. With that popularity and interest has come an increase in questions and a desire to iron out the specifics of what a nanny share looks like in practice. It can feel overwhelming and complicated to try and figure it all out on your own, so consider this blog post a “demystification” of sorts. We want to take some of the more confusing elements of nanny shares and explain them in simple, succinct, easy-to-understand ways. So without further ado…

What exactly is a nanny share?

A nanny share is an innovative arrangement where two (or more) families hire one nanny to care for their children together. Families participating in a nanny share arrangement typically establish a schedule and location that works for everyone, often in one of the family’s homes but sometimes rotating between each of the family’s homes on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. Nanny shares offer families a more affordable in-home childcare option, while also still providing the personalized, individualized care and the flexibility/convenience of hiring a nanny. By sharing the cost of a highly qualified nanny, families can access top-notch nanny services at a more accessible price point.

What are the benefits of a nanny share?

Nanny shares offer numerous benefits for families, including cost-sharing, socialization opportunities for the little ones, and increased flexibility for parents. 

Nanny shares open the door to a world of social interaction and friendship-building for the children involved. Children have the opportunity to form lasting bonds and to nurture their social and emotional development on a daily basis. The flexibility and convenience offered by nanny shares cater to the needs of working parents, ensuring that their children receive the individualized attention and care they are looking for.

Nanny shares also create a sense of community and shared responsibility among the participating households. By collaborating and supporting one another, the families and nanny can bond over the common goal of providing the best care for their children. This shared responsibility fosters a supportive network where all the caregivers can exchange advice, share resources, and create lasting connections.

Furthermore, a nanny in a nanny share is compensated at a higher rate than they would typically receive when working with one family, to account for the added complexity of navigating and meeting the needs of two different households.

What are the logistics of a nanny share?

In a nanny share, each family typically pays around two-thirds of a nanny’s hourly rate. For example, if a nanny’s regular rate for one child is $27/hour, each family would pay around $18/hour in a nanny share, and the nanny would be receiving a total of $36/hour between the two families. The families would be receiving a 33% discount on their nanny services, and the nanny would be making 33% more than their regular rate. In turn, both parties benefit greatly! In the Chicago area, we’ve observed the nanny share rate for experienced candidates to be about $32-40/hour (gross, before taxes).

Each family would be responsible for providing the nanny with a separate W-2 (so, two W-2s in the case of a two-family share), and it is still required that you pay your nanny time and a half for hours worked over 40 in a week. Guaranteed set weekly pay is still a requirement as well. In some more complex cases, having two contracts proves to be beneficial, but this is not necessary in most cases.

As briefly mentioned before, hosting can be split between both households, but some families find it easier to have one family host so that necessary baby or toddler gear can stay in that one location. Still, it will be necessary to make sure certain essentials are present in the host home so that your nanny is well-equipped for the caregiving tasks at hand: perhaps a pack-n-play for sleeping, an additional high chair, double stroller, two sound machines if necessary, baby monitors, food, etc.

What are some important factors to consider when finding a family to nanny share with?

This question is DEEPLY IMPORTANT. When finding a family to share with, you’ll want to be sure that this is a family you would like to closely engage with, long term.

When it comes to childcare approaches, you’ll want to take some time to talk through parenting styles and caregiving philosophies. While it’s not necessary to be 100% in alignment on everything, if gentle parenting or Montessori methods are important to you, make that known (in the same way you would with your caregiver)! Additionally, communication will be the bedrock of a successful, long-lasting nanny share partnership. Be sure to make a plan for how you would like to communicate with the other family (and with your nanny) on a day-to-day basis. It can be highly beneficial to organize a shared calendar so that everyone is on the same page.

It’s usually helpful if the children in the nanny share are at least somewhat close in age. This allows for more simplicity and continuity around things like nap times, feeding/meal schedules, activities, and even the eventual aging out of the nanny partnership.

Similarly, you’ll want to find a family in close proximity to you. This will be beneficial both for your nanny and for you. Ideally, you’ll aim to share with a family in your neighborhood or in a neighborhood next door, that way parents aren’t having to travel a great distance when dropping their child off at the other family’s home, and your nanny won’t have to juggle a varied, unpredictable commute from week to week.

All in all, you’ll want to find a family you get along with. You’ll want to feel open, comfortable, and aligned, as you’ll be interacting A LOT.

Why does your nanny deserve a higher pay rate in a nanny share?

First and foremost, the fact of the matter is that working in a nanny share is significantly more difficult. There is a high level of flexibility and adaptability necessary for success in a nanny share, and candidates will need to be compensated for this.

In a nanny share, the nanny is responsible for juggling two unique households and families, and depending on your chosen set-up, they might also be responsible for taking care of two homes. They have to keep two separate schedules in mind and also work diligently to keep all parents in the loop on a daily basis. This is a delicate balancing act!

Nanny shares require more work/effort in establishing a partnership between 4 parents in most cases, 5 adults including the nanny. There is a significant amount of coordinating and organizing required.

In cases where the families opt for different approaches, the nanny has to be able to work with each family’s desires and needs. (Think, for example, if one family chooses to move forward with baby-led weaning, and the other family decides to start with purees. It might seem like a small thing, but it will be an additional component for your nanny to incorporate and be mindful of.)

How do you navigate vacation/PTO in a nanny share?

Things like coordinating vacations/time off can be quite a bit more challenging in a nanny share too. These things often come down to personal preference, but you’ll have to find a way to plan vacations in a manner that allows your nanny to have some much-needed paid time off, and you’ll also want to have a clear plan in place for how guaranteed weekly pay will come into play in these instances.

For some families in nanny shares, they find the greatest success when they get together ahead of time (along with their nanny) and decide on their vacation time as a group, so that everyone has the same time off. However, this is not realistic in a lot of circumstances. If, for example, one family is not able to schedule their vacation time at the same time as the nanny, that family might need to find back-up care for that period of time when the nanny and the other family are away.

Still, in other instances, if one family goes out of town while the other family and the nanny are still at home, they are often still responsible for paying their portion of the nanny’s pay, even when they are away and not utilizing the nanny’s services.

To put it simply, approaches here can vary. MAKE A CLEAR, ACTIONABLE PLAN when it comes to vacation time, and make sure everyone is aware and on board with it from the start.

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When it comes to navigating a nanny share, bear in mind that this should be a set-up that is beneficial for EVERYONE involved: the families and the nanny. While you save on childcare costs by opting for a nanny share, you have to be mindful of the fact that there is another family involved. This requires clear, open, honest communication from the start. Ask tough questions, determine common goals, talk through what you’re looking for in your best-fit caregiver.

To fully experience the immense benefits of a nanny share, both families will need to make a concerted effort to set things up correctly, to compensate their nanny appropriately, and to commit to flexibility, coordinated efforts, and stellar communication.

Already have a family you’d like to share with? We’d love to walk you through a search for an outstanding nanny for your families:

-The Nanny Harmony Team

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Nanny Harmony is a well-established, premier nanny placement agency, based in Chicago and offering services nationwide. We take immense pride in our extensive community network and in our proven ability to find extraordinary matches between families and passionate, experienced nannies, household managers, and Newborn Care Specialists. To begin the process, fill out a family application here.