For Immediate Release

PROFESSIONAL NANNIES: IMAGES FAMILIES FOUND ON NANNY CAMERAS ARE DISTURBING

Over the past several weeks, two incidents of nannies abusing children have been brought to light by hidden nanny cameras. The Association of Professional Nannies reacts to the abuse and offers advice to families looking for nannies. 

Bluffton, S.C. March 14, 2008 -- The growing need for childcare in the United States has created challenges for the average American family. Finding quality childcare is an even greater issue. Many families are turning toward private nanny care to ensure that their children are cared for in the manner that they prefer. However, The Association of Professional Nannies, a national educational organization for nannies based in Bluffton, S.C., wants parents to know that nannies are not all one-in-the-same.

While the TV Shows Super Nanny and Nanny 911 have become popular, so has the decision to become a nanny. Currently, there are no national requirements for in-home childcare providers, so anyone can pull a black umbrella out of their coat closet and head out into the world as "Nanny".  Unfortunately, many of these nannies have no business working with children.

Lindsay Addison, of Cary North Carolina, recently had an experience with one such nanny.  The mother of premature twins, Gavin and Bryce, she hired a nanny who had a clear criminal history and glowing references. While she felt confident that the nanny was wonderful, she installed a nanny camera that she could access remotely as an additional protective measure. When she logged into the camera from work one day last week, she was stunned to see her nanny roughly handling the infants.

 "I immediately came home and fired the nanny." Addison said. "Then I called the police."

The nanny can be seen in the footage grabbing and lifting the infants by their clothing, dangling one of the infants upside down by his foot, and leaving the babies on the sofa unattended.

At the time the Addison's nanny camera discovery was gaining national attention, the Locklair family, located in the Myrtle Beach area of South Carolina decided to install a nanny camera. They were suspicious that the nanny was not giving their child the attention they desired. The images the camera picked up showed their nanny shaking, dropping, and abusing their child.

"The images on the Addison's and the Locklair's nanny cameras are disturbing and infuriating", said Jennie Krogulski, Founder and Co-President of The Association of Professional Nannies (APN). "The behavior of these nannies, Cheryl White and Stephanie Merrill, is appalling. We can only hope that these nannies will never be allowed to work with children again. Unfortunately, there are people who call themselves nannies who should not be working with children. However, there are also many wonderful, professional nannies in this country who are dedicated to their field and to providing the very best care for their charges."

Separating the good nannies from the bad is often easier said than done. "The first step toward protecting your children and hiring a great nanny is to hire a legally employable nanny", Krogulski said. "When you hire legally, you are able to do a background check on the nanny candidate that goes back seven years. It is impossible to do a complete background check on someone who has no social security number and legal employment history."

Krogulski said that, often, when the media reports that a nanny has abused a child, a closer look at the caregiver shows that she is either an illegally employed caregiver from another country, an Au Pair, or someone who never had a stringent background check performed on them.

As more families are turning toward private nanny care, many parents are looking at the option of installing in-home surveillance, otherwise known as "nanny cams".

Krogulski warns that, while nanny cameras can be used as an added safety precaution, they should not be used to disprove a parent's intuition that something is not right at home. "Parents who suspect their children are being mistreated or neglected should immediately dismiss the nanny", Krogulski said. "Warning signs that parents should be aware of include changes in behavior, changes in eating patterns, aggression, excessive bruising and scratching, and regression developmentally."   

When asked how she felt about the growing number of families who use nanny cams, Krogulski said that she tells parents that they should be upfront with their nannies about their use of a nanny camera. "As a nanny, I am a child advocate," she said. "Personally, I have always encouraged the families I have worked for to use nanny cameras, with or without my knowledge, because I feel that it validates the work I do. Frankly, I believe that every family should tell nanny candidates in the interview process that they plan on using a nanny camera. The nanny who runs out the door after hearing that is the nanny you don't want taking care of your children. The nanny who smiles after this announcement and says 'Good job!' is the one you want to hire."

"The message we want to get out to families", Krogulski said, "is to be proactive in protecting your children. Choose to work with a professional nanny and do your homework on a nanny candidate before you bring her into your home. Do not just rely on a nanny cam."

She also said that while most professional caregivers are very educated and choose to be in this profession because they love children, there are some people who try to pass themselves off as nannies because they think it is an easy, glamorous job. "Professional nannies know that, if the job is done well, nannying is anything but easy or glamorous. However, the unfortunate truth is there are those who enter this field for all the wrong reasons."

The Association of Professional Nannies recommends these practices to families:

• When possible, work with a reputable nanny placement agency, as agencies have experience in locating and securing professional nannies.
• Before interviewing nannies, come up with a list of questions that you will ask each candidate. Make sure that all candidates receive the same scrutiny, including those who are recommended by someone you know.
• Require all candidates to bring a resume with a minimum of five childcare references to the initial interview.
• Be aware that some caregivers may try to use fake references. Be wary of references that do not include phone numbers, full names, or hand written signatures.
• Look for gaps in the candidate's employment history.
• Check the validity of schooling and qualifications.
• When meeting with a candidate for the first time, plan to meet somewhere other than your home and without the children. If you are still interested after the initial meeting, then bring the candidate to your home for a second interview and to meet the children.
• Be upfront with prospective nannies about the position you have available, including salary and benefits offered, the hours required, the experience required, and the dynamics of your family.
• Employ only legally employable nannies so that you can do a proper background check on them.
• If you are using an agency, ask them for a copy of the background check they did on the nanny.  If you are not using an agency, then hire a background investigation firm to do a social security scan on your nanny along with a criminal background check (city, county, and federal), a sexual offender registry check, and a DMV check.
• Ask if the nanny is a member of any local, national, or international nanny groups. If membership is held with a group, verify this information through the group's office or website.
• Tell the nanny upfront if you plan on using a nanny camera. This will scare off the caregiver you do not want in your home. The professional nanny will be pleased that you are taking this step to protect your children and that you are being upfront about it.
• After hiring a nanny, periodically show up unannounced at random times. This will give you an idea of how things are going when you are not around.
• If you have any doubt that your child is being safely cared for, immediately dismiss the nanny. Remember, the safety of your child is more important than proving your suspicions by capturing abuse and neglect on film.

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Contact:

The Association of Professional Nannies

(641) 715-3800

Access Code 69185