How to hire a nanny

So SuperNanny seems to be too busy to take your calls, and you need some in-home child care. Where to start?

We consulted several experts in the field to offer advice for finding a modern-day Mary Poppins or a suitable alternative.

Their tips can also apply to your search for just the occasional baby sitter.

The experts suggested breaking down the process into three areas:

_ Finding candidates for the job.

_ Interviewing and screening.

_ Sealing the deal.

FIRST, A JOB DESCRIPTION

Figure out exactly what your needs are: Live in or live out? How many days/hours a week do you need help? Will the nanny be expected to drive the children to and from school, to after-school activities? Do you also want some housekeeping done?

Define the characteristics -- personality, education and experience -- you want. Consider issues like, would you hire a smoker? Or someone of a different religion?

Decide how much you can offer to pay.

Wendy Sachs, co-president of the International Nanny Association, said the pay should reflect the nanny's background and experience as well as the workload.

WHERE TO LOOK

Start with word of mouth.

Chat with other moms about their caregivers and whether they might be free on the days you need help. Check with friends whose kids are starting school; they may be freeing up a great nanny. Sometimes nannies know other nannies who are looking for work.

You could also post your job description on a local moms' forum, to seek recommendations from other moms.

(Warning: Don't jeopardize friendships by becoming a nanny poacher - that is, luring her away from another family by making a better offer.)

You could also try a professional nanny placement agency. Most work with experienced child care providers, do thorough background checks and can usually find someone quickly. But they aren't cheap: Their fees can run into the thousands.

Then, there's the Internet.

Besides classified ads on newspaper Web sites and Craigslist, there are also some Web sites that allow you to post nanny or baby-sitting jobs and search a database of child-care givers looking for work.

For example, for $39.99 for the first month and $9.95 a month after that (or $95.88 for a year), you can search your ZIP code at SitterCity.com. You can read profiles of potential nannies and baby sitters and get their contact information. You can also order a cursory background check from the site and read comments about the sitter from other users.

Susan McCloskey, vice president of NannyPoppinz.com, said, "Parents who look on Craigslist are missing out on better people who only go through a nanny placement agency. The quality of people responding to ads on Craigslist may be hit or miss."

And an agency will do all the footwork for you.