After numerous nanny recommendations, referrals, interviews and a short evaluation of day care as a viable option, wifey and I decided to hire someone new to care for the Z-unit.  The nanny business is filled with options and the decentralized nature of things makes the prospective hiring party distrust each one.  Referral services are out for money and volume.  They also specialize in live-in providers who are often unable to market themselves (language issues mostly). Also, it seems that most live out care-givers with access to phones and permanent addresses don’t want to create an unecessary middle man.  However, the advertisements for care-giving services are way too sketchy, like massage ad in the back of Voice.  What you really want is someone qualified to tell you that she knows/has worked with a babysitter who is perfect and available.  But the likelihood of a friend or family member who is giving up an appropriate nanny at the time if your need is miniscule.  So the hiring party has to troll the web and classifieds for unverified candidates and advice. 

Enter nanny outplacement. In particular, the posts on messageboards and advertisements that start with “My nanny is becoming available…and we love her…call us at this number to validate…”.  These listings are perfect as they supply a ready reference who is endorsing at will, the services of the candidate.  This should be part of the contract for all hired caregivers: upon a mutual parting of ways, the family agrees to place an ad or post a message soliciting new employers to call them first.