Frequently asked questions

Nanny agencies match you with a caregiver and move on. Novinway trains, employs, and supervises your caregiver on an ongoing basis. Every caregiver is employed directly by Novinway, trained in neuroaffirming care practices and then specifically for your child by a board-certified behavior analyst. We handle scheduling, backup coverage, and quality oversight. Beyond childcare, we also offer family coordination - a dedicated coordinator who helps you navigate your child's services, make decisions, and then handles the day-to-day execution. No agency does both.

No. Novinway is nonclinical. We do not diagnose, treat, or provide ABA or any other therapy. We do not bill insurance for clinical services. Our behavior analyst's expertise informs how we train caregivers and design our service - but what we deliver is childcare and family coordination, not therapy.

We serve children and teens of all ages. For younger children, care often looks like structured support around routines and sensory needs. For older children and teenagers, it may look more like a consistent companion - someone they trust and look forward to spending time with. Coordination applies to families with children of any age navigating neurodivergent-specific services and transitions.

No formal diagnosis is required to use our childcare services. If your child has needs that require a caregiver with specialized training - whether or not there's a formal diagnosis - we can likely help. For coordination, the service is designed around the services, systems, and transitions that typically come with a neurodivergent diagnosis, so it's most relevant to families actively navigating those systems.

The DC metro area: Washington DC, Maryland (including Montgomery County, Prince George's County, and surrounding areas), and Northern Virginia. Childcare is in-home or community-based. Coordination can be delivered remotely for most tasks.

We don't screen families out because their child is "too hard." Our caregivers complete baseline neuroaffirming training and are then trained by a behavior analyst on your child's specific needs, including how to handle challenging behaviors safely and with dignity. During the Care Profile process, we learn about your child's behavioral patterns, triggers, and what strategies have worked. That information directly shapes your caregiver's individualized training. If your child has behaviors that require more intensive support, we'll be upfront about what we can and can't provide.

Before your first visit, our behavior analyst gathers detailed information about your child: routines, preferences, communication style, sensory needs, behavioral patterns, and what's worked (and hasn't) with previous caregivers. This becomes the training foundation for your caregiver and is updated as your child grows and needs change.

That's the goal. Membership families receive dedicated caregiver matching - we prioritize assigning the same person to your child consistently. If your primary caregiver is unavailable, we provide a trained backup who has access to your child's Care Profile. Flex families receive best-effort consistency, but because scheduling is on-demand, we can't guarantee the same caregiver every visit.

Every caregiver passes FBI and local background checks, provides 3+ verified references, and completes an in-person interview process. They receive behavior analyst-designed training before being matched with any family. We hire selectively and pay above market rate because we want people who are genuinely good at this work and will stay.

Not currently. Our standard service covers daytime and evening hours. If you have a specific need for overnight care, reach out and we can discuss what might be possible.

Yes. Our caregivers can provide care in your home or in community settings - parks, therapy appointments, activities, errands. Community-based care is part of the Care Profile so your caregiver knows your child's needs in different environments.

Your caregiver can care for siblings at no extra cost when it's safe to do so. When a second caregiver is needed - multiple neurodivergent children, complex care situations, or large age gaps - Novinway provides a second employee at a reduced rate. We never send an outside sitter. Both caregivers are trained on your children, employed by Novinway, and backed by the same oversight.

Your caregiver is trained for it. During the Care Profile process, we learn your child's behavioral patterns, triggers, and what strategies work. That information shapes your caregiver's training before the first visit. Our behavior analyst is available for real-time consultation during any session. If something happens, you hear about it directly from us - not after the fact. And your Care Profile is updated after every significant behavioral event so the approach gets better over time. If a situation ever exceeds our nonclinical scope, we'll tell you clearly and help connect you to the right clinical support.

We understand trust is everything. We're happy to arrange a conversation between you and your caregiver before their first session. That said, we value your time and don't require it - your caregiver arrives trained on your child's Care Profile either way, and you're welcome to be home during early sessions until you're comfortable.

Every caregiver first completes general training on behavioral approaches, de-escalation, and neuroaffirming care practices. They then receive individualized training designed by our behavior analyst based on your child's Care Profile - covering their specific routines, communication style, sensory needs, and what's worked (and hasn't) with previous caregivers. If your child has existing support plans or clinical strategies in place, we incorporate those. Before a caregiver is cleared to deliver care, they complete a simulated practical application and pass a competency assessment by our behavior analyst. This isn't a generic orientation or a video module. After care begins, our behavior analyst reviews Care Notes, checks in with your caregiver regularly, and updates the training as your child's needs change.

Three things. First, they help you navigate - what services your child qualifies for, what programs exist, and what comes next at each stage, from diagnosis through school transitions and beyond. Second, they help you make decisions - which providers to keep, what to add, what to let go, and how to prepare for major transitions like pre-K to kindergarten, middle school, or aging out of pediatric services. Third, they execute - provider scheduling, transportation, waitlist follow-up, benefits paperwork, program research, and coordinating your childcare schedule around therapy and school. The scope depends on your family's situation - if a neurotypical family wouldn't have the problem, it's in scope.

General household tasks that any family would deal with. The test is: would a neurotypical family have this problem? If yes, it's out of scope. Scheduling a plumber is out. Arranging specialized transportation between therapy appointments is in. Grocery shopping is out. Coordinating a restricted diet with your child's nutritionist is a gray area we'd discuss.

Your coordinator maintains relationships with vetted IEP advocates, special education attorneys, and other specialists in the DC metro area. When a situation comes up that needs that kind of support - an IEP meeting, a school placement dispute, a legal question - they connect you to the right person. You don't have to find them yourself.

No. Each service works independently. You can use coordination without childcare, childcare without coordination, or both. If you do use both, the combined price is $600/month + $35/hr for care hours - but there's no requirement to bundle.

It varies. Some families need heavy support in the first month - building provider maps, researching programs, handling paperwork, navigating a new diagnosis or school transition - and lighter maintenance after that. Others need steady coordination work every month. Your coordinator's time is driven by your family's actual needs, not a fixed hourly allotment.

No long-term contracts for any service. Childcare memberships and coordination are both month-to-month - cancel either with 30 days' notice. Individual membership bookings can be cancelled with 24-hour notice at no penalty, and we work with families on emergencies and illness. Flex bookings require 48-hour notice.

No. Novinway is a nonclinical service and does not bill insurance. We can provide documentation of services for families who want to seek reimbursement through flexible spending accounts (FSA), dependent care accounts, or similar programs, but we cannot guarantee eligibility.

Your rate covers the caregiver, scheduling coordination, backup coverage, ongoing quality oversight, and behavior analyst-designed training specific to your child. There are no hidden fees beyond what's listed on the pricing page.

We're welcoming a limited number of founding families beginning Fall 2026. If you're interested, reach out now so we can start the conversation and make sure you're on our list.