How to Choose the Right Nanny for Your Child: A 10-Step Checklist

Choosing a nanny is less about finding the longest résumé and more about finding the right match for your child’s real day. Start with the routine you need help with, look for age-relevant experience, check references and identity, discuss safety and emergencies, and observe the nanny with your child during a paid, supervised trial. For families seeking a nanny for newborn care, age-specific experience should be one of the first things to assess.

A job description that says “full-time nanny needed” can sound complete—until Tuesday morning arrives. Who prepares breakfast? Who watches the baby while an older child gets ready for school? Is homework included? What happens when a parent is delayed by Delhi-NCR traffic?

Those ordinary details are where a good arrangement succeeds or fails. Use the steps below to make them clear before you hire.

1. Write down your child’s actual day

Before you contact an agency or interview a candidate, map one normal weekday from wake-up to bedtime. Include the quiet parts as well as the busy ones: naps, bottle preparation, school pickup, outdoor play, screen time and the hour when everyone is tired.
Your list should cover:

1. your child’s age and usual routine;
2. feeding, meals and allergies;
3. bathing, dressing and toileting;
4. naps and bedtime;
5. school or daycare timings;
6. play, reading and homework;
7. medicines or health instructions from your child’s doctor;
8. outings, pickups or transport; and
9. the hours and days when you need support.

Separate essential duties from nice to have tasks. If light household work is part of the role, define it precisely—for example, washing the child’s bottles or tidying the play area. “Help around the house” means different things to different people.

2. Match experience to your child’s age

Years of experience matter, but relevant experience matters more. Someone who has mainly cared for school-age children may not be the right nanny for infants, while a newborn-care specialist may not enjoy managing homework and after-school activities.

Ask for examples rather than a yes-or-no answer. “Tell me about the last baby you cared for and what a normal day looked like” will usually reveal more than “Do you have infant experience?”

3. Use practical questions in the interview

A good interview feels like a conversation about real situations, not an exam. Explain your household’s routine, then ask how the candidate would handle moments that regularly happen with children.
Useful questions include:

1. What would you do if my child refused lunch?
2. How would you settle a crying baby after the usual soothing steps have not worked?
3. What would you do if my child fell and hit their head?
4. How would you manage a toddler’s tantrum in a public place?
5. How would you plan a screen-free afternoon?
6. What would you tell me at the end of each day?
7. When would you call me immediately rather than waiting for me to return?
8. What would you do if you could not come to work?

Listen for calm, specific answers. It is reasonable for a candidate to say they would follow the parents’ plan or call for help. Be cautious if someone dismisses your rules, gives confident medical advice outside their role, or treats shouting and physical punishment as normal discipline.

4. Check references, identity and verification separately

“Verified” is not a complete explanation. Identity, address, employment references and police verification are different checks, and one does not replace the others.

Speak directly with previous employers where possible. Confirm when the candidate worked for them, the ages of the children, the duties handled, punctuality, communication and the reason the arrangement ended. Ask open questions such as, “Would you hire this person again?”
For families hiring in Delhi, Delhi Police provides a domestic-help verification process through local police stations. Ask whether the form was only submitted or whether a result has been received, and request candidate-specific proof. The Delhi Police domestic-help form and guidance are a useful reference, but police verification should still be treated as one part of screening—not a guarantee of future behaviour.

If you use professional nanny services, ask the provider to state in writing which checks are complete for the particular candidate. Do not rely only on a general website promise.

5. Check first-aid readiness and agree on an emergency plan

Ask what first-aid or CPR training the nanny completed and when. A certificate is useful, but you should also discuss how the person would respond in your home and whom they would call.

The American Academy of Pediatrics advises parents to check a sitter’s references and training, discuss the child’s routine and allergies, and leave clear emergency information. Its babysitter for newborn checklist for parents and caregivers is a practical starting point.
Leave a written plan with:

1. both parents’ phone numbers;
2. a nearby backup contact;
3. the home address;
4. the child’s doctor or paediatrician;
5. allergies and prescribed medicine instructions;
6. school or daycare contacts; and
7. the situations in which emergency services should be called without waiting for a parent.

India’s pan-India emergency number is 112. A nanny should not be expected to diagnose a medical problem, but they should know how to get help quickly and follow the care instructions you have provided. Medicines should only be given according to clear parental or medical instructions.

Bath time needs its own rule: an infant or young child should never be left alone in or near water, even briefly. The caregiver should stay within arm’s reach and avoid phone calls or other distractions.

A babysitters service should also be clear about the caregiver’s responsibilities and the level of supervision expected before the arrangement begins.

6. Confirm safe-sleep knowledge for an infant

If the role includes infant care, ask the candidate to describe how they would put the baby down for a nap. Do not settle for “I have always done it this way”; agree on the sleep plan your family will follow.

Current CDC safe-sleep guidance, supporting American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations, says caregivers should place babies on their backs for naps and nighttime sleep, use a firm and flat sleep surface, and keep soft bedding and loose items out of the sleep area.

Share the same instructions with every person who cares for the baby. If your child has a medical condition or you have questions about feeding or sleep, follow your paediatrician’s advice.

Families looking for a role focused specifically on a new baby can also compare newborn care at home with a general nanny arrangement.

7. Decide whether you need a nanny or a babysitter

The terms are sometimes used interchangeably, so focus on the work you need rather than the label.

If you only need someone for a few hours, it may make more sense to hire a babysitter in Delhi-NCR. If you need regular support across the working week, compare nanny services in Delhi-NCR instead.

8. Agree on duties, hours and boundaries in writing

Before the first day, write down the arrangement in plain language. Cover start and finish times, working days, pay dates, leave, overtime, breaks, notice and what happens if either side needs to change the schedule. For a live-in role, define rest time and privacy as carefully as working time.

Also agree on:

1. meals the nanny will prepare for the child;
2. bathing and bedtime duties;
3. school pickup and who is authorised to collect the child;
4. outdoor areas the child may visit;
5. transport and child-restraint rules;
6. photos and social-media boundaries;
7. visitors and door-opening rules;
8. use of the nanny’s phone while supervising; and
9. household tasks that are—and are not—part of the job.

Clarity protects the nanny as well as the family. It prevents the role from quietly expanding after work begins.

9. Arrange a paid, supervised trial

A short trial lets you observe things an interview cannot show. Keep the first session supervised and pay the candidate for their time.

Notice whether the nanny:

1. washes their hands at the appropriate times;
2. gets down to the child’s level and speaks respectfully;
3. follows your instructions without becoming passive;
4. notices hazards before being prompted;
5. responds patiently when the child is hesitant;
6. asks sensible questions; and
7. gives a clear update at the end.

Do not expect an instant bond. Some children need time to warm up. You are looking for patient, attentive behaviour and a relationship that becomes more comfortable—not a performance for the first ten minutes.

10. Test whether the arrangement will work locally

A nanny services search is only a starting point. In Delhi-NCR, travel time and shift timing can affect daily reliability. Ask how the candidate will reach your home, how long the journey normally takes and what the backup plan is during bad weather, transport disruption or a family emergency.

Before confirming, make sure you can answer four practical questions:

1. Can this person reliably arrive for the agreed shift?
2. Does their age-specific experience match our child’s needs?
3. Have we seen evidence for the checks that matter to us?
4. Do both sides understand the duties, boundaries and backup plan?

A simple nanny comparison scorecard

If two candidates both seem suitable, a written scorecard can make the decision less emotional. This is a family decision aid, not a safety guarantee.

Score each candidate only on evidence you have actually seen. A warm personality should not cancel out an unresolved reference or safety concern.

Looking for nanny services in Delhi-NCR?

Urmi Group lists childcare support across Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad and Faridabad. When you contact the team, share your child’s age, location, required hours, live-in or live-out preference, and the duties you need covered. For an infant, mention feeding, sleep and hygiene requirements at the start.

Availability and checks can differ by candidate. Before you confirm a placement, ask which identity, address, reference and police-verification steps are complete for that person, and clarify the current replacement terms.

Discuss your childcare requirement with Urmi Group.