British American Household Staffing is the leading agency for childcare in San Francisco, Santa Clara, and San Mateo counties. We started in London and New York and branched out to California 5 years ago. As childcare specialists we have observed hiring trends on both US coasts and both sides of the pond.
We encourage families to be open with us about what their dream nannies look like on paper. British trained nannies are popular in the Bay Area as well as French and Spanish speaking nannies.
Families on the peninsula/Atherton etc. will sometimes purchase a property for the nannies to live in and deduct a small amount for rent from their salaries, way below what the local market rent is. Housing costs in the area are now the most expensive in the country, which poses a problem with many nannies, housekeepers, and domestic staff in general so families with means often subsidize the rent for their domestic staff.
Below are a few examples of childcare hires set up for long-term success.
*Please note, British American is an agency for professional families and estates. We do not have data on daycare or preschools. This article will discuss nannies, tutors, nanny housekeepers and babysitters.
Two children, infant to 3 years old, with one or two working parents, living in the Peninsula (Atherton, Palo Alto, etc):
For the estates in Atherton, Palo Alto, Woodside, Menlo Park, Los Altos and Redwood city the following two structures are most common:
A common structure is 3-4 nannies; 2 with infant experience to teen, one for toddlers, and up and one general nanny for the weekend. Often two of the nannies work weekdays, one works weekends, and the final nanny is on-call or supplemental.
A rotating schedule is often popular with families. This entails 1-2 nannies working for longer hours for up to 4 days, then trading the next 4 days with the other nannies.
Two children, infant to 3 years old, with one or two working parents, living in the city (Presidio Heights, Pacific Heights, Noe Valley and Nob Hill):
Schedules in the city usually are covered by 2-3 nannies, depending on the ages. A weekday, educated nanny or governess, a weekend nanny, and either another nanny to supplement the schedule. A career nanny or governess will most likely be given housing, relocation expenses, and a higher salary as they will have extensive training, developmental awareness, and understanding of child psychology, education, manners, sibling relations, and creative play.
Older children, in school part- or full-time, living in the Peninsula (Atherton, Palo Alto, etc):
For the estates in Atherton, Palo Alto, Woodside, Menlo Park, Los Altos and Redwood city the following two structures are most common:
For school-aged children, there is a weekday nanny, one full-time nanny/personal assistant, and an on-call and weekend nanny.
This may sound like a lot, but the older the children get, the more hands on deck are required when it comes to extracurricular activities, different schools, different friends, and play dates.
Once the children are older, there is no longer a need for a career nanny. A family in an estate on the Peninsula may hire a proper governess, which costs upwards of $170,000 a year in the area. This governess is a trained teacher in the home, helping children study, giving extra homework help, helping with music lessons, and assisting with SAT prep.
If the family doesn’t quite have the spare cash or want to spend it, a nanny personal assistant is sensible. Many nannies graduate to become a personal assistant as the children get older. A busy mother with young school-aged children will have a full and busy life, especially if she is managing her own career, which is most common in the Bay area. Mom will often happily take on a nanny/personal assistant, someone to help her schedule the family’s personal appointments, book travel, manage parties and events, and handle other administrative tasks.
Older children, in school part- or full-time, living in the city (Presidio Heights, Pacific Heights, Noe Valley and Nob Hill):
For families in San Francisco city, the set up for school-aged children is a little more sparse. If there are 3 plus children, extra help may be needed.
The structure may look like: a weekday nanny and an after-school and weekend babysitter. There is usually a full time housekeeper as well who is able to help with the children in the morning. Weekends are usually covered by a babysitter or sometimes a weekend nanny/housekeeper.
Families in the city may also hire a career nanny or governess to assist with older children. Or they may decide to transition a nanny that worked with the children when they were younger into a family assistant role.
Hire your nanny with BAHS
Deciding on the right childcare for your family is an important undertaking. Our specialists are happy to assess your needs and recommend suitable structures that we have seen thrive in the past.