Nanny Agency JobsA family party can change your assignment before anyone has called it a change: one visiting child joins a game, another parent leaves the room, and guests begin treating you as the event's childcare. Before agreeing to supervise visiting children, establish a named group, a defined space and a way for parents to hand care over and take it back.
This is a decision about an extra assignment within your existing job. The general extra-children guide covers broader changes to the care brief; the party-specific problem is controlling arrivals, departures and requests while the event is underway.
Choose the party assignment
Ask the host which of these descriptions they mean: you care for your usual children while they enjoy the party; you supervise a named group of visiting children for a set period; or you run childcare for guests throughout the event. Those descriptions call for different preparation.
For the first arrangement, ask the host to tell visiting parents that they retain responsibility for their children. You can be friendly and include a guest in conversation without accepting an undefined care assignment. If the family wants the third arrangement, discuss whether a separately organized service is needed. The event nanny guide explains that wider booking.
Before accepting a group, walk through the proposed space and work. Consider the children's ages and needs, transitions between rooms, access to outdoor areas, meals, bathroom assistance and your existing duties. Identify where you would need another adult. This article supplies no staffing ratio; a headcount alone cannot establish a workable arrangement.
Make a private party roster
For a defined group, use this original NAJ roster with the host. Keep it available to the responsible adults, rather than displaying family contacts on a public party board.
| Roster field | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Child and agreed session | Identify who is included and the start and finish of their care. |
| Parent or guardian contact | Record whom to reach during the party and where that adult expects to be. |
| Child-specific briefing | Confirm that the necessary care instructions have been received through the agreed private route. |
| Arrival handover | Record when the agreed adult actually transfers responsibility. |
| Collection arrangement | Identify the agreed collecting adult and record the completed handover. |
| Change owner | Name the host contact who handles requests for additional children or longer coverage. |
Do not pre-mark a handover as complete because a child is expected to attend. Agree what happens when a parent wants to leave the event, a guest arrives without a briefing or a child needs their parent. A host's invitation list and your accepted care list serve different purposes.
Give the host an arrival message
The host should explain the arrangement to guests before the party, so you are not negotiating it while supervising children. An original sample is:
“Childcare is arranged only for the children and session we have confirmed with you. Please hand over directly at the agreed space and remain reachable. If your plans change, contact me before leaving or adding another child. Other children remain with their accompanying adults.”
Adapt this only to the arrangement everyone has accepted. Settle your hours, duties, preparation, materials and proposed pay changes with your employer before the event. Serving adult guests or clearing the party should not quietly become a simultaneous assignment while you supervise the group.
Handle an unplanned addition
Fictional example: During a birthday party, a guest asks Sam to include two visiting cousins. Sam's agreed group is already in the playroom, and the cousins are absent from the care roster. Sam asks the guest to retain responsibility while the host reviews the request and available coverage. The cousins do not become Sam's assignment merely by entering the room.
If the arrangement is becoming unworkable, contact the host for a deliberate change in coverage. Avoid an abrupt departure or an assumed transfer to whichever adult is nearest. Finish with actual handovers and return any roster through the agreed private route. For an informal gathering where adults accompany their own children, see playdate group planning.
Sources
International Nanny Association: Recommended Practices for Nanny Employers, pages 3–4, recommends recording duties and updating agreements for significant changes, including additional children. Checked October 30, 2026. The roster, guest message and example are original NAJ tools, not statutory event procedures or staffing standards.