Newborn Care Specialist (NCS)

Unlike nannies who are hired to care for the children through their school age years, newborn care specialists (NCS) or nannies that are hired only to work in a home during the baby stage are often only on a ‘short-term assignment.’ These types of positions may range from several weeks to several months.

GET STARTED HERE

Frequently Asked Questions

About Newborn Care Specialist's/NCS

What Does an NCS Cost?

Families looking to hire an NCS will go through our Placement Services there's a $300 non-refundable registration fee to start the process and then a one-time placement fee, which is 18% of the nanny's annual salary. The client will then be responsible for paying the NCS directly for her services. Hourly rates are typically set by the NCS and vary, depending on the number of infants. $25-$40/hour is average but can go up to $75/hour depending on the years of experience.

What Does a NCS Do?

A Newborn Care Specialist usually starts with a family on the day they bring baby home from the hospital or the day of home birth and stays typically for up to 3-4 months to guide and educate new parents and offer hands-on care to the newborn(s) to help establish feeding, routine, and healthy sleep habits. Most often, a Newborn Care Specialist will handle the overnight care so that a new parent can rest and recover from birth or adapt to new parenthood if the baby is adopted or via surrogate. If required, an NCS will offer around-the-clock or daytime support as well.

Is a Newborn Care Specialist the Same as a Night Nurse?

The term Night Nurse feels very familiar to some, but it is an outdated term, and in most states it is in fact illegal to refer to yourself as a nurse unless you are an RN, LPN or LVN. The correct term to use in the US, as adopted by the International Nanny Association over 12 years ago, is Newborn Care Specialist, also known as an NCS.

Is there a Difference Between a Newborn Care Specialist and a Night Nanny?

A Newborn Care Specialist is explicitly trained in all aspects of newborn care and will have many years of experience with families during the first few months with a newborn. They will be able to help parents feel confident in their care of their precious newborn and will be familiar with common issues such as reflux and have proven solutions and resources to help. A Night Nanny works typically under the direct guidance of the parents, they may or may not have any formal education in the care of newborns, and this is often an add on to their daytime work.

What are the Benefits of Hiring a Newborn Care Specialist?

The most significant benefit of hiring a newborn care specialist is sleep! Having peace of mind that a qualified newborn care specialist is handling the overnight hours, having an extra set of hands during bath time and knowing there is additional support should any issues arise, allows new parents to get more and better sleep. Even a nursing parent only has to wake to nurse and can then go right back to sleep while the NCS settles the baby. New parents who have quality postpartum support tend to heal faster (if they have given birth) and have lower rates of postpartum mood disorders. They also can use their awake time to focus on their newborn as the baby laundry, nursery organizing, bottle and pumping parts washing, have been done overnight by the newborn care specialist.

What Sets Us Apart...

Exclusivity - Our agency specializes in high-end placements, ensuring a curated selection of top-tier candidates.

Extensive Screening - We perform rigorous background checks, reference verifications, and in-depth interviews to guarantee the highest level of candidate quality.

Personalized Matchmaking - We commit to finding the perfect match for each family, considering both qualifications and personality fit.

Professionalism - We are commited to the highest standards of professionalism, confidentiality, and discretion.

Customized Family Care Plans -We offer tailored plans to address the individual requirements of every family.

Post-Placement Support - We offer continued support and follow-ups to ensure a seamless integration of the nanny into the family.

Legal Expertise - We provide guidance on legal aspects such as contracts, taxes, and employment regulations related to hiring a nanny.

Transparent Communication - We maintain open and transparent communication channels between the agency, families, and caregivers.

Continuous Training - We encourage ongoing professional development for nannies to stay updated on industry trends and best practices.

Replacement Guarantee - All of our nanny placements come with a 30, 90 or 180 day replacement period. Meaning if you are not happy with the nanny's performance or if any issues arise during the first (up to) 180 days there we will replace your nanny at no additional cost.

Because of this, it may seem confusing on how your nanny should be paid. Here are some important details to remember when it comes to paying your short-term NCS wages and taxes.

If you pay your NCS more than $2,400 in a year, then both the employee and you as the employer are required to pay taxes. As the employer, you can withhold the proper portion of Social Security and Medicare taxes from each paycheck and pay it on the employee’s behalf. You are also required to pay unemployment taxes for the employee.

The NCS is required to pay income taxes on the wages they have earned during their employment with you. The employer can withhold these taxes, but if they don’t, then you will need to budget for this and pay it when you file your taxes each year.

If the NCS does not earn more than $2,400 then no social security or Medicare taxes are required. However, income taxes on wages are still required to be paid.

Keep in mind that a NCS that works in your home is not an independent contractor. They are an employee that needs to fill out a W-2. Independent contractors are considered self-employed and can designate their own hours, complete their job duties how and when they want, and are responsible for their own taxes.

Families that are working with a nanny or NCS for the first time may find it convenient to partner with a household payroll agency. These tax and payroll experts understand the inner-workings of tax laws and what the required withholdings are for household employees.

Our Process

Step 1

Take 5 minutes out of your day to fill out our online registration. Once we have your registration we will reach out to you to set up your one-on-one discovery call to see if we're a good match for your families needs.

Step 2

One-on-One Care Consultation

Your initial one-on-one care consultation is where we get to know you and your family's specific needs! We dive deep into family values, what's worked in the past and what hasn't, etc. We also take the time figure out what you're looking for in a nanny as well. Your Care Consultation can be done in person or virtually and should take about an hour, give or take.

Step 3

Sit Back and Relax While We Work Our Magic

Our team will then prescreen and hand select potential caregivers, who we feel would be a good match for your family's needs. Once we decide on who you would like to interview we then schedule and coordinate all interviews, offering our guidance every step of the way. Our goal is to save you as much time and energy as possible.

Step 4

Enjoy Peace of Mind

When you and your family decide on a candidate that you are serious about, we will help make sure you make the right choice by recommending a paid “trial period” before you formally offer a candidate the position. Once the trial period is complete we will then send over a your personalized work agreement that you will sign and return to us, we will then present your offer to the candidate. When the offer is accepted, the full placement fee will be charged.

Agency finder's fee is separate from the nanny's hourly rate. All finder's fees are due before the nanny's start date and there are no refunds. Please ask about our guaranteed replacement period for permanent nannies. Clients are responsible for paying the nanny separately. Clients with full and part time nannies are also legally responsible for withholding the appropriate state and federal taxes. All Clients looking for a professional nanny must offer the average pay rate of between $20-$30 per hour. The final rate is decided between the family and the nanny. We strongly encourage families to use an employee payroll system. Please let us know if you would like more information regarding employee payroll systems, we are happy to help!

Our permanent placement package has a guaranteed replacement period. Ask about our guaranteed replacement period during your free consultation.