Nanny Agency Jobs Explainer

If a family introduced by an agency asks to hire you directly, contact the recruiter before agreeing to change the process. Tell them what the family proposed and review the candidate terms you accepted. Ask the family to resolve its own agency agreement with the agency. You do not need to decide whether a fee is owed or negotiate that dispute for them.

First establish what “directly” means. Being employed and paid by the family can already be part of an agency placement. That is different from a request to exclude the agency, conceal the offer or describe the introduction as something it was not.

Identify what the family is proposing

Ask one plain question: “Do you mean that you will employ and pay me, or that you want to complete this hire without the agency involved?” Record the answer without guessing at the family's motives.

Adventure Nannies' candidate FAQ, for example, says families pay candidates directly while the agency charges families a fee. This describes that agency's arrangement only. It illustrates why direct payment alone does not establish that someone is bypassing a recruiter.

If the proposal is simply to discuss the schedule with the family, ask the recruiter whether that is the agreed next step. If it is to end the agency's involvement, that needs a different conversation before you commit.

Use a three-situation response card

This original response card helps separate ordinary employment arrangements from an unresolved change of route.

  • “We will pay you ourselves.” Ask who employs you and how the agency remains involved. Continue through the confirmed offer process.
  • “We no longer want to use the agency.” Say you will contact the recruiter about the introduction. Ask the family to address its agreement directly with the agency.
  • “Do not tell the recruiter we offered you the job.” Do not promise secrecy or give a false account. Pause your acceptance while the proposed route is addressed.

The card is a communication tool, not a finding that any particular request breaches an agreement. An explanation such as “we have already sorted it out” still needs confirmation from the agency before you rely on it.

Send the recruiter a factual message

Use the existing recruiter contact and role reference. State when the proposal was made, what was requested and whether you have responded. Avoid broadcasting the discussion to other agencies or sharing a family's private documents.

Original sample message: “For role [reference], the family asked on [date] whether I would complete the hire without further agency involvement. I remain interested in the job, but I have not agreed to that change. Please explain the appropriate next step and any candidate terms I need to review. I have asked the family to discuss its arrangements with you directly.”

Adapt the acceptance sentence truthfully. If you already said yes, report that rather than presenting the decision as still pending. Keep dated copies of your own messages so the discussion does not depend on memory.

Keep the job decision separate from a fee dispute

Read any candidate agreement and introduction instructions you accepted. Ask about wording you do not understand. You may not have access to the family's agency agreement; do not infer its contents from a fee page or from another agency's policy.

If someone says you personally owe money, request the specific written basis and obtain appropriate independent advice before accepting that conclusion. This guide cannot determine fees, liability or enforceability.

Your own job decision still requires a clear offer: duties, schedule, compensation, start date and the written work arrangement. A promise that removing the agency will make everything easier does not answer those questions.

Resume only with a clear next step

Ask the recruiter to confirm how communication will continue and who will send the offer documents. If the route remains disputed, state that you are waiting for it to be resolved before making further commitments. You can remain interested without agreeing to conceal an introduction.

If pressure to give an inaccurate account continues, consider whether you want to proceed with the role at all. Give an honest response through the agreed contact route and retain the record of your decision.

Sources

Adventure Nannies: Candidate Process and FAQs, checked October 30, 2026, supports the narrow example about direct family payment. The response card and message are original NAJ practical guidance, not an agency fee policy.