Nannies 'call the shots' as parents face a child care shortage

Nannies are in demand in today's child care market -- and in control.

When the pandemic began, and day cares closed and options dwindled, some Chicago parents turned to nannies for help. Now, a year and a half into the pandemic, the demand is continuing.

But this time, the tables have turned.

Agencies are warning parents of a nanny shortage, after many left the industry following being let go during the pandemic or wanting a more stable (or supportive) field. This exodus left a shortage of trained nannies, and parents scrambling to provide higher pay and better benefits for those who remain.

"Some of the best nannies that I've ever worked with in the city of Chicago after the pandemic are no longer nannies," said Jayme Levin Richards, a former nanny and Chicago regional director of agency Olive. You. Nanny.

Many factors affected the turn to nannies, said Lydia Brown, founder of Chicago Collegiate Nannies. People who previously had kids in day care found them closed; those who depended on family members were hesitant to do so amid the pandemic, especially if older relatives were more vulnerable to coronavirus. Families with au pairs encountered immigration issues as borders tightened.

"All these forms of child care disappeared," Brown said. "The market got completely flooded with families."

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, child care was in crisis. A shortage of affordable, high-quality options only worsened during the pandemic as both families and service providers struggled. The federal pandemic relief funding has included billions for child care relief. As early as last year, families were also shelling out extra cash for nannies after learning demand was higher than normal.

Since the pandemic began, Albert Riley Graupmann, a Lakeview dad of two, has had four nannies, two nanny shares and so many transitions that his toddler son stopped wanting to meet the new nanny.

"Our son was like, 'I don't want anyone new. I'm just going to stay in my room,'" Riley Graupmann said.

His experience is similar to others. One nanny returned home at the beginning of the pandemic; another moved to a new home, creating a suburbs-to-city commute that proved unsustainable. Another was a good fit but returned to their career when theater work became available again. The toddler warmed up to all, including the fourth nanny, who had less time to nanny when her professional career got busier.

Now, as kids return to school, challenges remain as parents seek after-school care as they themselves return to offices and can no longer attempt to juggle working from home while staying with their children. Meanwhile, parents trying to manage their household exposure, especially around children who cannot yet be vaccinated, are requesting only vaccinated nannies.

An UrbanSitter survey from August surveying 250 U.S. parents found that 61% said a vaccinated caregiver was "extremely important" CEO Lynn Perkins said those who have been vaccinated receive more bookings and requests. In Chicago, for example, 44% of caregivers have the vaccination badge, and they have had 61% of the bookings in the last 90 days. Their pay rate is also higher.

As a mom and a nanny, Levin Richards understands the challenges everyone faces. As a mother, she is trying to guard against extra exposure for her family, and as a nanny for decades and, now, the Chicago regional director for Olive. You. Nanny., she knows how nannies have been extra stressed this past year.

She left the nanny field during the pandemic because of a health issue that made the job no longer possible. But she also welcomed a break after nannying during the pandemic.

"The pandemic, it was probably the most difficult time in my career," she said.

Like many nannies, she was juggling her own family's changing needs, as well as the unique challenges of serving a family also adjusting to a new environment with working from home. Meanwhile, she was more limited in where she could take children. They went on a lot of car rides, she said, seeing planes land at the airport and doing scavenger hunts around the city. Levin Richards is close with her former nanny family, who she felt was very conscientious and just as worried about her as they were about themselves.

But not every child care worker felt that way; many felt the caution required of them was not reciprocated. Asked by families to limit their own activities, some then watched families travel or host parties.

Throughout the pandemic, challenges for nannies have been acute. First, many lost their jobs. And nannies paid in cash found themselves unable to file for unemployment.

Some left the industry after finding other jobs to keep afloat, while some felt child care was too unstable to return to, Brown said. Others simply wanted to work where they felt more valued. Told they were like members of a family, nannies instead found themselves quickly let go. Others were told to move in with the family or they wouldn't have a job.

"I don't think they were treated very well," Brown said.

For those who stayed, many also took on housekeeping duties or work that was typically done by others who had been let go.

Riley Graupmann said his family handled this conversations thoughtfully, trying to have open and proactive conversations about shared exposure.

"We're all adults, so I can't really say, 'Don't do this, don't do this,' but everyone's coming to an agreement," he said. "So it's like, 'OK, I'm not going to Logan Square, to Owl, dancing late at night without a mask, so please don't do these things.'"

To his family, it was about mutual trust. "Those were some of the challenges, just finding someone, the trust issue, being open about, OK, I have a scratchy throat, or I was in Lake Geneva visiting my cousin," he said.

Now, as vaccinations are available, nearly every family wants a nanny who is vaccinated. Jada Rashawn, a caregiver at Sittercity, noted that this prevents unvaccinated but qualified caregivers from finding work. On the flip side, caregivers are also asking families for proof of vaccination.

Levin Richards said only two families in the past 18 months have been open to an unvaccinated nanny. One called yesterday.

"Their nanny refused to get vaccinated, and they realized it was a problem, and now they want a nanny that is vaccinated," she said.

Nannies have expressed wanting a minimum number of hours guaranteed to work, if it's just for one family, said Perkins at UrbanSitter. Some are hesitant to take public transportation, and instead look for jobs closer to home.

Nannies are able to "call the shots," Brown said, with salaries higher and benefits better than she's ever seen.

"It's really nice, I think, for nannies to be able to have more of a voice right now, and be able to be paid a really, really livable salary," she said.

She added, "It's causing everybody to take a step back and think about what's really important," Brown said. "Do you want the right candidate, or do you want someone in two weeks?"

abowen@chicagotribune.com

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