What Precautions Should Families and Nannies Follow During the Pandemic?

As the COVID-19 crisis continues to unfold, hiring a private nanny or in-home care seems like the safest option for childcare. Parents are hesitant to send their children to a daycare facility since many facilities may not thoroughly practice social distancing, thereby failing to protect children.

Many daycare centers are not operating or have limited availability post-COVID-19. With no daycare options and schools closed, the need for hiring a private nanny is more than ever.

But can you trust any service to provide you a safe and reliable option?

The Happiest Nanny helps you hire the best nanny for your childcare needs. This platform is a reliable network for bridging the gap between trusted childcare services and parents. However, during the Covid-19 outbreak, we encourage parents to take some additional precautions when hiring a nanny for their children. Likewise, we also expect caregivers to make sure they work in a safe and healthy work environment.

For Families

Discussing your safety expectations during an interview is essential to communicate your preferences. In addition to the usual interview questions, here are a few questions you can ask to select a nanny for your children.

• Are you complying with all CDC guidelines concerning social distancing?
• Would you be willing to measure your temperature upon arrival at our home?

• Would you work for just our family?
• Is anyone in your network or immediate family showing any symptoms of the virus?
• Have you ever experienced any symptoms of the COVID-19 virus?
• Are you willing to undergo a test if you show any signs of the virus while working at our house?
• What will be your mode of communication?

Once you choose a nanny, you can create an arrival routine for them. This routine can include removing their coat and shoes by the door, taking their temperature, allowing them to wash their hands upon arrival, and having a usual conversation about any changes to their health status.

Furthermore, parents should disclose information about a family member who shows any symptoms of the virus or has received a positive diagnosis. According to CDC recommendations, patients should self-quarantine for two weeks. They should also alert others with whom they were in contact so they can undergo a test.

For Nannies

Just as our parents' safety is important to us, we also encourage our caregivers to ensure that they take all measures to protect their health.

We strongly recommend our nannies to report any cases where a family member is exhibiting the virus's symptoms or is corona positive. However, if someone in your household is sick or has exposure to the virus, we encourage our nannies to stay at home and avoid offering their parents services.

Nannies should only offer their services if they are fit, healthy, and do not show any virus symptoms. Remember that fever is not the only indication of the virus. While we can’t make any guarantees about any family’s health, we strongly recommend you to ask as many questions as possible to ensure that you enter a safe home.

Some local and state governments are instituting ‘shelter-in-place’ or ‘stay-at-home’ orders for slowing down the spread of the Coronavirus. Note that these offers limit activity by ‘non-essential employees’.

Final Thoughts

The Happiest Nanny aims to serve both caregivers and parents amidst the pandemic. Make sure you follow this guide to choose reliable and safe options.

Sources

• New York Times
• USA Today