Last Chance to be a Part of National Nanny Training Day in NYC on Saturday, April 28th 2012

Wee Care Nanny Agency is proud to be a sponsor of National Nanny Training Day "NNTD" being held at the wonderful Don't Tell Mama Cabaret Restaurant in Manhattan (343 West 46th Street) on April 28, 2012.  A few Tickets are still available at the door and a registration link is located at the bottom of this post.

 

What is National Nanny Training Day?

NNTD offers a full day of training for nannies featuring many experienced industry leaders speaking on a variety of topics like caring for the physical, emotional, intellectual, social and recreational needs of  your charges. In short, you will get some additional insight on how to be an excellent caregiver, and build and maintain a great working relationship with the family.

 

What do you get?
 4 amazing childcare related workshops: 

• How to Keep Your Cool When the Children Are Driving You Crazy  - Dr. Michael Sweeney - Metropolitan Cognitive Behavior Therapy
• Essential Skills for Nannies - Listening, Communication , Negotiating and more- Denyse Kapelus - owner Professional Nannies Institute in Manhattan
• Child Development - The importance of Play- Sarah Phillips Mathews -Sarah Lawrence College Child Development Institute
• "In the mind of parents" what parents are thinking during interviews, trials and during your time as a nanny" what to do and not to do to have the best relationship possible? - Tammy Gold - Gold Parent Coaching

Buffet Luncheon

Network with other local nannies and agencies

Gift bags, door prizes and other fun activities!

Attendees can enter: http://nannybizreviews.com/2012/03/nntd-raffles/

**Our charity for this event is for the USO - Military Program United Through Reading. We invite you to bring in a book donation for this terrific causes for our US Troop Families. The program has a wish list of books to choose from. We will be making cards to be sent along with the books.**

New York City - National Nanny Training Day

Sponsored by: Smartsitting.com

Saturday, April 28th, 2012

Registration 9:30 AM - 9:50 AM

Location: Don't Tell Mama Cabaret Restaurant

343 W 46th St
(between 8th Ave & 9th Ave)
New York, NY 10036

(212) 757-0788

10:00 - 3:45 Workshops and lunch

 

REGISTER NOW: NNTD in NYC has only 20 more tickets available. These tickets are CASH Only and payable at the door (as venue must be paid in cash). You must pre register at http://nycnntd2012.eventbrite.com/ to reserve your spot http://nycnntd2012.eventbrite.com/

Posted by Wee Care Nanny Agency

The FBI Requests the Public's Help in Apprehending a Fugitive that May Pose Online as a Tutor or Nanny

An alleged child pornographer who may advertise online as a tutor or male nanny was recently added to the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives. Eric Justin Toth, 30, was indicted in Maryland in 2008 for producing child pornography. Since warrants were issued for his arrest several years ago, Toth has been travelling across the country. Authorities are offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to Toth's capture.

This information comes to us from Jessica Barefoot at the FBI Office of Public Affairs. Wee Care Nanny and our colleagues at the Association of Premier Nanny Agencies are hopeful that by spreading the word we can alert the public and help law enforcement apprehend him. Click the links below for his "Wanted" poster and more information from the FBI:

Wanted Eric Justin Toth

Fugitive from Washington, D.C. Area Named to FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List http://www.fbi.gov/


Posted by Wee Care Nanny Agency

National Nanny Training Day in NYC on April 28, 2012

We hope you will join us as Beth Lehmann
Presents:
National Nanny Training Day - NYC

Sponsored by:
Saturday April 28th, 2012 at Don't Tell Mama -
343 West 46th Street (between 8th and 9th Avenues)

Registration: 9:30 AM
Workshops and lunch - 10:00-3:00

3 WORKSHOPS - How to keep your cool when the kids are driving you crazy
Words to pictures children literacy/child development
Essential Skills for Nannies - communication, listening, negotiating, etc

All registered attendees will receive a swag bag, certificate of attendance, a chance
to win the Nannypalooza Package (October 13/14 in Philadelphia), doorprizes, buffet
lunch networking and more…..
Registration is open:
http://nycnntd2012.eventbrite.com/

Organized by Lora Brawley: Nanny Biz Reviews
www.NannyBizReviews.com
Gift bags donated by Kathy Webb : Homework Solutions
www.4nannytaxes.com
Thank you to our gold sponsor: familyhelpers.net
Thank you to our silver sponsors:
profnannies.com, nynanny.com Wee Care Nanny Agency

Our charity for this event is for the Military Program United Through Reading.
We welcome you to bring in a new book donation for this terrific causes for our US Troop Families.
The program has a wish list of books to choose from available on their website. We will be making cards to be sent along with the books at the event.
info: nycnntd2012@gmail.com

Posted by Wee Care Nanny Agency

Car Insurance and Other Matters to be Addressed When Asking a Nanny to Use Her Own Vehicle for Work

This article comes to us from Tom Breedlove from Breedlove & Associates. Tom discusses some insurance issues to be cognizant of when asking the nanny to use her own vehicle for work related tasks, including transporting the children.

We would add that another related issue to be mindful of is that many nannies do not have newer vehicles, which could pose some safety concerns. You need to make ceretain the car is in excellent mechanical condition and the nanny is truly comfortable using it for work, and has the proper insurance in place. Of course, if the nanny offers to use her own vehicle, the family should cover wear and tear, reimburse for gas and any additional cost for added insurance. All these matters need to be properly addressed well before the nanny starts her new job.

The Legal Review shares findings from real-world situations

in an effort to illuminate potential tax and legal landmines

and how to help families avoid them.

AUTO INSURANCE Most caregivers are asked to drive as a regular part of their job -- using either the family's car or their own car. Either way, the errands and excursions can create exposure for families if auto insurance is not properly addressed. In this issue of The Legal Review, we've created a hypothetical case in order to illustrate the potential issues related to on-the-job automobile usage.

The Situation A family hires a full-time nanny to take care of their 2 children. The family knows they will need the nanny to perform regular driving duties so they search for -- and find -- a candidate who has her own car and auto insurance. Once the nanny says she has her own vehicle and insurance, the family moves to the next item on their checklist. They don't give another moment's thought about auto insurance because they assume that the nanny's coverage is adequate.

The Law The state laws for auto insurance vary widely -- with each state having its own requirements for minimum coverage in the areas of liability and property damage. Within each state, the various insurance providers typically have some latitude to include or exclude certain "extraneous" provisions. What's covered by one provider may be excluded by another -- and use of a vehicle by a nanny for "business" purposes (as opposed to personal use) falls into the category of "extraneous" provisions. The bottom line: to truly understand what's covered and what's not, you have to call your insurance agent. If an employer asks an employee to drive as a regular part of the job, it's important for the employer to understand their coverage -- and that of their employee -- because of a legal concept known as "vicarious liability." Generally, employers are vicariously liable for the acts of their employees. That means that, if the nanny were to hurt someone while driving on the job, the employer may have secondary liability for damages caused by their employee.

The Mess One day, the nanny is in a hurry to get the kids across town to a very important piano recital. In trying to beat a red light, the nanny hits an oncoming vehicle. The passenger in the other vehicle is injured. The family now finds out that the nanny's insurance policy is a "basic" policy, which means that it only meets the state-required coverage minimums. In this particular state, the minimum required coverage is: $25,000 Bodily Injury Per Person $50,000 Bodily Injury Per Accident $25,000 Property Damage The injured party sues for $25,000 in property damages and $100,000 in liability for medical bills, lost wages and pain & suffering.

The Outcome The plaintiff wins the lawsuit and is awarded full damages. The nanny's auto insurance provider covers the property damages and liability up to the limits. (Note: Some insurance companies may deny this claim on the grounds that the accident happened during "business" use and, therefore, does not fall under the personal use stipulations of the policy). Because the nanny is under-insured, the employer is responsible for the balance of the damages because they are held to have vicarious liability for the actions of their employee. The employer's insurance company does not pick up the tab because the nanny was not included on the family's policy.

How the Whole Thing Can Be Avoided Obviously, this case is extreme. But it's not out of the realm of possibility given the number of serious accidents on our roads and the litigious nature of our society. The good news is this kind of nightmare scenario is easy to avoid. Families who have an employee driving on their behalf should contact their insurance agent and discuss auto insurance coverage for their nanny -- regardless of whose car will be used. The family and their agent should look at the nanny's coverage and the family's coverage collectively. Once a variety of factors have been analyzed (i.e. who's car is being driven, how many business use miles will be driven as a regular part of the job, what are the liability limits for each policy, etc.), the agent can provide a customized recommendation for minimizing exposure from auto accidents.

If you have additional questions about this or any other aspect of household employment tax and labor law, please call 888-BREEDLOVE (888-273-3356) or visit us online. We're here to help.

Sincerely,

Tom Breedlove

Breedlove & Associates, LLC

Dateline NBC Investigation finds Thousands of Day Care Centers Have Workers with Criminal Records

An investigation done by Dateline NBC determined that thousands of day care centers have workers with serious criminal records, as do some of the owners of day care facilities. It is terrifying and very disturbing to learn that individuals with criminal backgrounds are entrusted with other people's children. Unfortunately, too many unsuspecting parents are under the false assumption that their state has conducted thorough background checks on all day care workers and bars any convicted criminals from running or working in a day care center. In our opinion, Rebecca Dube, the TODAY Moms editor who wrote an article on the investigation for MSN titled "Is Someone with a Criminal Past Running your Kid's Day Care?" offered some very sound advice" Research and investigate, yes, but even if all the checks come up clean and all the references are glowing and everyone says this is the best school in town — if your parental Spidey Sense tells you something feels wrong, listen to it. Intuition can be a powerful defense for our kids — use it." We could not agree more! Read the article or watch the video here

Posted by Wee Care Nanny Agency

Helping Senior Citizens Stay Active and Engaged

Activities for Seniors
Written By : SeniorsList

We wanted to share this with our many wonderful elder care companions that provide loving care and help enrich their client's lives.


There are many misconceptions about what senior citizens can and can’t do. For some reason, it is believed that once a person reaches the age that allows them to be referred to as senior citizens they can no longer live an active life. This however is not the case. As long as they are in good physical health, there should be no reason for them not to live an active and fulfilling lifestyle. In fact, they will undoubtedly be excited about being involved in any activity that arouses them. No matter their age, daily activities should be a top priority.

Research shows that being socially active has positive effects on the general health and well-being of individuals throughout their lives. People with a variety of social ties have a lower death rate and decline in memory. Social activities are in fact, just as significant for seniors as exercise. Maintaining speed, muscle strength and dexterity through young adulthood into older age is a result of being socially active. Doing volunteer work, going to social gatherings and sports events or maybe visiting friends are all factors in maintaining good physical health...Continue article here


Posted by Wee Care Companions

Online Babysitting Sites-Caveat Emptor

More Negative Press for SitterCity

This article comes to us from the Association of Premier Nanny Agencies (APNA). Wee Care Nanny is a long-time member and currently serves on its board.

In the past 4 weeks, there have been two additional news stories involving the online matching service, SitterCity. In one case, a Massachusetts woman was accused of stealing $40,000 in jewelry from two families she found on the website. This individual had cleared a SitterCity "background check", which we know does little more than provide a false sense of security to vulnerable parents. Another more tragic case involves a second grade teacher who has been indicted on child pornography and abuse charges. He has also been accused of participating in a child exploitation ring. While we cannot stop these terrible events from occurring, we would like to encourage all APNA agencies to continue to educate parents about the value of proper screening, reference evaluation, and background checks; all services that are included in the APNA agency process.

We at Wee Care Nanny Agency find these two cases extremely disturbing and heartbreaking. We believe the public needs to be better educated about online listing services.

Tragically, in our opinion, the proliferation of online bulletin boards like SitterCity, Care .com, Craigslist, etc. has led to increased crimes against children by inexperienced, unstable or even criminal minded individuals masquerading as professional caregivers. These sites have no barriers to entry. Anyone can post their profile on these sites and hold himself or herself out as an experienced and qualified caregiver. No one is bothering to verify the job seeker’s information before it is posted, or in some cases at all.

In light of this, we thought this was a good time to re post the article we wrote in June 2009 titled "Greenwich Nanny's Arrest Prompts Hiring Advice". We hope this provides insight on how to properly vet and hire a professional nanny, babysitter or other type of caregiver.

Posted by Wee Care Nanny Agency