The Web makes it easier for agencies to do background checks, too. The International Nanny Association warns, however, that background checks of criminal records are limited by state and Federal laws and may not show the whole picture. For qualified candidates, the process doesn't take long. Her job search lasted one month. While many agency owners say most of their clients learn of them by word of mouth, families in need of nannies are also using the Web.
Some families are from remote areas where nannies and nanny agencies are nonexistent.
Stansfield likes to use the Internet, so using it to find a nanny was natural for him. They wanted their nanny to be athletic and not afraid of isolation. She grew up in Vermont, where her nearest neighbor lived a half-mile away. Isolation isn't a problem. But the heads of Web-based agencies concede that their focus on the Internet might make them miss out on some qualified candidates.