The nannying career is one that’s highly rewarding. To make yourself successful as a nanny, undergoing training and committing to be a continual learner is key. A good nanny is truly invaluable. More and more people have recognized the advantages of being a nanny, which makes the competition a bit steeper. If you’re considering a career as a nanny, it’s a great idea to equip yourself with as much training as possible. Not only will it make your resume look more desirable and open doors for higher salaries, but it will give you the skills you need to be a great nanny for as long as you choose to work as one.
What kind of training should you get?
One must-do is getting certified in CPR and First Aid. These are some of the most important certifications that a nanny can earn, as most families will not even consider someone who has not gone through these training courses. The INA offers a Nanny Basic Skills Assessment that helps assess a nanny's knowledge on important topics including professionalism, child development, health, safety, and nutrition. Once you pass it, you will get a certificate and potential employers will likely have greater peace of mind seeing that you have an important baseline of knowledge. If you go a bit further and pass an INA Nanny Credential Exam, you will be considered an INA Credentialed Nanny. If you plan on working mostly with babies, additional training in newborn care is available. If going the route of traditional college is appealing to you, an Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood Development or Early Childhood Education are both great degrees to consider, especially when you’re planning a career in this field.
Foundation Practice for Nannies, a CACHE Endorsed Learning Program designed by Michelle Larowe and endorsed in partnership with Stella Reid, aka Nanny Stella at Nanny Stella Inc. 13 lessons designed specifically for nannies, covering topics including child development, health and safety, nutrition, creating optimal environments for children cared for by nannies, professionalism, and unique situations nannies face. Each lesson has an introductory video, course content, resources, and a quiz. Once all lesson quizzes are completed, students can access the final exam. Upon passing the final exam, a joint certificate from Nanny Stella, Inc. and NannyTraining.com is accessible immediately and available for download. The CACHE certificate will be requested and mailed directly to the student at the mailing address provided.
Staying Up to Date
Once you have completed your training courses, make sure you stay up to date on any other classes or courses that could help keep you current on new techniques or skills that could help in your career as a nanny. Continued education is an important aspect of being a good nanny and sometimes, your employer can help cover the costs associated with that. Continuing education opportunities include:
National Nanny Training Day: Every spring dozens of local one day training events are offered around the country for nannies. This year the events will be held on Saturday April 29, 2017.
International Nanny Association Annual Conference: The INA hosts an annual conference that has educational tracks geared to nannies and to newborn care specialists. This 3 day training event is held in different locations every year. INA's 2017 conference is in Chicago IL May 18-21.
Nannypalooza: This annual event is designed by nannies, for nannies. Held over a weekend, this 2 day event offers 75 minute workshops on early child development, health, safety and nutrition, guidance and discipline, working with parents, and more. Nannypalooza 2017 will be held October 6th- 8th, 2017 in Columbia (Baltimore) MD.
NAEYC Annual Conference: The National Association for the Education of Young Children's national conferences bring together early childhood educators -- teachers, program administrators, students, researchers and teacher educators -- to explore the latest research and learn from one another. The 2017 conference will be November 15-18, 2017 in Atlanta GA.
By dedicating your time to gaining hands-on experience as well as education from other professionals in the industry, you’ll be more marketable and better able to find the perfect job quickly!