If you are a full time worker or spend countless hours away from your home on business and finding it harder and harder to make time for your family and attend to your children, then seeking a nanny through a nanny referral service will be the fastest option you can pursue in order to obtain a nanny that is pre-screened.

Before you even start with a nanny referral service, you must ask yourself and the nanny referral service some critical questions.

• For instance, just how much time do you have still left before you'll have to retain the services of a nanny?
• There are several good agencies that truly offer last minute employing. What type of service do you want? How many hours at a time do you need a nanny to tend to over your child?
• Do you want to be able to get in touch with your potential childcare professional first online just before setting up an interview and meeting with her in person?

• Ask what fees are involved with the application process and if these fees are refundable.
• Are you a member in the Alliance of Specialist Nanny Agencies (APNA) or perhaps the International Nanny Relationship (INA)?
• What specific insurance plan do you provide for the nanny?
• How long a replacement be guaranteed if the nanny does not work out?
• What is the minimum age requirement for a nanny to be employed by your agency?
• What sort of education or coaching must the nannies have?
• Do you provide nannies whom can legally work in the United States and have the required documentation for this?
• Do you interview the prospective nannies in person?
• Will I be able to interview the nannies themselves in person?
• Do you provide ongoing support to the nanny herself after she is placed?
• Ask how the nanny referral service business conducts background checks and if you will be able to obtain a copy of this record for your own evaluation.

Some agencies demand that their nannies have special training including CPR and First Aid, therefore inquire about that also.

Furthermore, ask about the company's procedures and guarantees. For example, what if there is a personality clash between you and the nanny? How will the organization handle that?

I have listed some basic but crucial questions to ask your nanny referral service.