Nanny Agency JobsA role with a clear end date and an ongoing role ask different things of your calendar. Start by comparing the work actually offered: when it begins, whether it has an agreed end, and which hours you would need to keep available. A posting described as “permanent” should not be read as a guarantee of employment for any particular length of time.
The useful question is not simply which label sounds more secure. It is whether the confirmed brief fits the time you can offer, and what still needs to be discussed before you commit.
Compare the dates behind the label
Use this table as a set of questions for the agency. “Defined engagement” means a brief with stated start and end dates; “ongoing role” means a brief presented without a fixed end date. These are working descriptions for this comparison, not universal agency categories or employment classifications.
| Criterion | Defined engagement | Ongoing role |
|---|---|---|
| Dates | Confirm both the first and last working dates. | Confirm the start date and whether any end date is specified. |
| Availability | Check whether you can cover the whole stated period. | Explain any known future limits on your availability. |
| Schedule | Confirm the hours and working days throughout the engagement. | Confirm the regular schedule and any changes already anticipated. |
| Purpose | Ask what the cover needs to accomplish during those dates. | Ask what the continuing role includes from the start. |
| Future changes | Treat an extension as a separate discussion until agreed. | Clarify proposed changes to duties, hours or location before assuming they fit. |
| Your comparison | Assess the work within the confirmed dates. | Assess the current brief alongside your longer-term plans. |
Temporary does not necessarily mean travel. Adventure Nannies describes temporary help at home, including cover for a nanny’s absence or a family transition. Travel does not necessarily mean temporary either: BAHS describes both single-trip cover and full-time roles with regular travel.
Read each agency’s description rather than applying a duration cutoff of your own. For example, Adventure Nannies separates long-term searches from shorter services and includes interim cover during a longer search. Those service categories do not establish a rule for every agency.
Two briefs, two calendar decisions
Invented brief A: defined cover. An agency describes a role from June 7 to July 2, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The brief says the family may ask for another week. You have another commitment beginning July 5.
You can offer the stated dates, but not the possible extra week. Tell the agency that before progressing: “I’m available through July 2. Is covering the additional week a requirement, or is it only a possibility?” Do not present yourself as available for both when your calendar only supports the first period.
Invented brief B: ongoing role. An agency describes a role starting August 2, with no fixed end date and a Tuesday-through-Saturday schedule. You know you will become unavailable on Saturdays from January.
The immediate schedule fits, but your future availability does not. Raise that known limit early and ask whether the role requires continuing Saturday availability. An ongoing label cannot resolve that mismatch, and an assumed future schedule change is not something you can rely on.
Both examples are fictional. Their purpose is to show how one specific date can change whether a brief works for you.
If an extension comes up
Separate interest from commitment. “I would consider staying longer” leaves a question open; it does not establish new working dates. NAJ’s nanny and newborn care specialist comparison likewise encourages checking start and end dates and distinguishing a possible extension from the work currently offered.
Before deciding, ask whether the extension would keep the same duties, schedule and location. A new brief deserves a fresh look even if you already know the family. Write down the proposed changes alongside your availability so neither side has to interpret a vague “probably.”
Dates and extension checklist
- What are the exact start date and, if stated, end date?
- Are all working days and hours clear, including the final week?
- Can I cover those dates without an unresolved clash?
- Have I disclosed any known limit that affects the offered schedule?
- Is extra time required, proposed or only mentioned as a possibility?
- If more time is proposed, what would change, and when will we discuss it?
Your next action
Choose one posting and write a two-line availability note: the dates and hours you can offer, followed by the one uncertainty you need clarified. Read the full agency posting before sending it, then use NAJ’s agency questions guide to plan when to ask. Follow the agency’s application instructions; NAJ does not take applications.