Babysitter, nanny or specialized childcare?

01The short answer

A babysitter or nanny can work well when your child settles easily with new people and you have the time to find, prepare and manage the caregiver yourself. Specialized childcare is worth considering when a regular sitter hasn’t worked, when your child needs a caregiver prepared for how they communicate and regulate, or when you want someone else to handle screening, preparation, supervision and backups.

Neither choice is right for every family. The useful question is not “who is cheapest?” but “what has to be true for care to work for my child, and who will make it true?”

02Three ways families find care

Finding someone yourself

A marketplace, a Facebook group or a referral from another parent. You can find someone quickly and often for less. Checking experience, references, background and First Aid/CPR usually falls to you, and so do preparing the caregiver, managing the arrangement and finding cover when they’re sick or move on.

A placement or sitter agency

An agency introduces candidates and may handle screening. Many placement agencies introduce a nanny whom you then hire and manage. Some agencies also handle booking and payment, but the caregiver may still be self-employed or hired by your family. Preparation for your particular child, and what happens during a hard moment, are usually still up to you.

Specialized childcare

A company employs the caregiver, prepares them for your child and stays involved during care. At Novinway, Care Specialists are our employees: screened, trained in person, prepared for your child with a written Family Care Plan and supervised by our clinical team. Care is still childcare: at home, school pickup, outings, evenings and overnights. It is not therapy.

Want help sorting this out for your family? Send us a question

03Side by side

Agencies differ, so treat the middle column as typical rather than universal, and ask each one directly.

04Questions to ask any caregiver or agency

1. How is the caregiver screened? Ask about criminal-history checks, references checked directly and current First Aid and CPR.
2. How will they learn about my child before the first visit? A good answer includes time with you, something in writing and a plan for the first few visits.
3. Who can the caregiver call during a hard moment? And who can you call?
4. What happens if the caregiver is sick, leaves or isn’t a good fit? Ask whether backups are already prepared for your child.
5. Who employs and insures the caregiver? If it’s you, ask what that involves.
6. Is there a written plan, and who keeps it current?
7. Who supervises, and what are their qualifications?

Whichever route you choose, writing down what a caregiver needs to know makes the first visits easier.

One-page care plan template

Write down what any caregiver needs to know about your child: communication, routines, what helps in hard moments, safety and handoffs.

Download the template1-page PDF · 96 KB

05When a regular sitter is enough, and when it isn’t

A regular babysitter or nanny is often enough when your child is comfortable with new people, communicates their needs in ways most adults understand and rarely needs more than routine support.

Families usually look for specialized childcare when:

• Sitters haven’t lasted, or your child hasn’t been safe or settled with them.
• Your child communicates in ways a new adult needs to learn, including with AAC.
• Transitions, sensory needs or hard moments need a caregiver who has practised what helps.
• Safety needs planning: elopement, outings, pickups or overnights.
• You need someone to cover work hours reliably, with backups.

06What it costs

You can find someone for less than specialized childcare. The difference is what stands behind each visit: screening, a written care plan, matching and child-specific preparation, supervision by a licensed clinician, a team you can reach during care, employment and insurance, and replacements and backups when plans change.

At Novinway, care starts with a $300 Family Care Intake. Monthly Care is $40 an hour plus a $300 monthly membership for a regular schedule; Flex Care is $50 an hour plus $100 per 90-day access period for visits as needed. See pricing and the cost calculator.

When care lets you work or look for work, a dependent care FSA can often help. See our dependent care FSA guide.