Nanny Net News

A newsletter for Parents, Nannies and Agency Owners
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Vol. 1, No. 6 April 2000
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Deborah Smith, Editor 
Parents With Nannies, Inc.
Deborah@4nanny.com

This newsletter is distributed by subscription only. If you
wish to unsubscribe, you can find instructions at the end of
this newsletter.
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IN THIS ISSUE
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> What's Happening At Parents With Nannies
> Dealing With Nanny Taxes - It's Not Too Late
> An excerpt from this month's featured book,
"Child Safe" by Mark A. Brandenburg, M.D.
> Article: Making sure Nanny is covered for on the job injuries 
> Website Spotlight
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Words to live by...

"Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain -
and most fools do."
    Dale Carnegie
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WHAT'S HAPPENING AT PARENTS WITH NANNIES

THE LUCKY WINNERS OF OUR NANNY DEFINITION T-SHIRT ARE

Cora Nelson
Marcia Reybrouck
Jordon Jones
Audry Hafar
Brenda Hartz

CONGRATULATIONS LADIES. If you haven't done so already
contact me with your size so I can get them out to you.

A NEW CONTEST FOR APRIL
This month's contest sponsor is Life Work Strategies
who is donating A NANNY ESSENTIALS NANNY KIT.
The kit includes Five educational brochures for 
the nanny and/or parent written by the child care 
experts at the National Association for the Education 
of Young Children (NAEYC)

NEW MESSAGE BOARDS

We've added two new Message Boards to the website.
The Kid's Activities Board for nannies who want to share ideas
about what to do during summer break, rainy days or what have 
you.

The other board is called our Nanny Mentor Board and I hope 
it proves to be a very useful tool for nannies who are just
getting into the profession. I decided to form this board 
after receiving many requests from new nannies just starting
out who are looking for some guidance. Nannies who are 
thinking about or are actively pursuing a nanny career can 
"advertise" for a mentor. Experienced nannies who would 
like to share their hard earned wisdom can volunteer 
as a "Nanny Mentor" by either answering a "Mentor Needed" 
ad or by placing a "Mentor Available" ad. Message Boards 

In the coming months we will be adding several boards for 
Parents too. If you have any suggestions for a message 
board topic, please feel free to send them my way.

POLL RESULTS
Well, the results of this month's polls regarding agencies
are in. 

"How do you find Nanny Positions?" 94 nannies responded to
this question. 50% report finding their jobs through agencies.
23% through the classifieds and 27% through word of mouth.

We only had a small turnout from parents (14) but from those 
who did answer the question "What has your experience been
with agencies?" we got the following: 7% said Great, 
no complaints. 57% said some good, some bad. 21% said 
Terrible, never us them again and 14% claimed to have no 
experience with agencies. 

This month we are launching a new NANNY SALARY POLL and I
want to really urge every single nanny to make time
to take it. We have three polls according to experience
level. I hope this survey gives us a better handle on what
the average salaries are. It seems I get a question on salaries
almost every day through the website. Please go here for the
poll and choose your experience level. Thanks. Survey
is on left border. 
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DEALING WITH NANNY TAXES - IT'S NOT TOO LATE!

Payroll tax compliance is a year round activity; 
however it is not too late to catch up with obligations 
for 1999 and provide your nanny with her W-2. Remember, 
not only is this the law, but failure to comply causes 
you to knowingly file a false personal income tax return, 
a felony offense if caught!

The payroll tax obligations of the nanny employer include:
* Reporting wages to the Social Security Administration via 
Form(s) W-2/W-3.
* Calculating Social Security and Medicare taxes due 
(15.3% of the wages) and Federal Unemployment taxes due 
(0.8% of the first $7000 paid to each employee IF state 
unemployment taxes are paid by April 15) and including 
these amounts on Form 1040 Schedule H, part of your personal 
income tax return.
* Completing state unemployment tax reports for all calendar 
quarters of 1999 that you employed the nanny. Annual state 
unemployment tax remittances run $250-$350 per employee on 
average. If you are late, calculate as much as 50% late 
filing/late payment penalties.

The nanny is obligated for her income taxes. If your contract 
specifies the nanny receives a periodic payment that is NET of 
all taxes, you have assumed this obligation. The easiest thing 
to do for 1999 is to have her calculate her Federal and State 
Income Tax Returns and reimburse her for the taxes due. 
Remember this reimbursement is taxable income to her in 2000!

Need help? Home/Work Solutions has been providing payroll 
and tax preparation services to nanny employers since 1993. 
Check out their web site for more details. http://www.4nannytaxes.com/

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CHILD SAFE, A Practical Guide for Preventing Childhood Injuries
by Dr. Mark A. Brandenburg

Dr. Brandenburg puts together all the information you could 
ever possibly imagine on how to spot hidden hazards, dangers
at home, at school, on the playground, and in the car. The
section I find most useful is the Age-specific recommendations.
The author concentrates Part II of the book on Age-Related Injuries
and divides the chapters by Infants (0 - 12 months); Toddlers and
Preschoolers (1 - 5 years); and School Age children (6 -13 years. 

For each age category he discusses Developmental Milestones and the
new dangers associated with them. He discusses the common causes of
injuries for each age and how they can be prevented. He also discusses
"Object-Specific Hazards" which he describes as certain products that
can carry a greater risk of injury to a child.

It was extremely hard to choose just one excerpt from this book but 
since I had to, I did. The following is from Dr. Brandenburg's 
chapter, Age Related Injuries, Toddlers and Preschoolers.

GENERAL HAZARDS

AUTO-PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENTS

It is no secret that toddlers do love to run, and at times yours will run
simply for the sake of running. Whether she travels in tight circles
around the living room or shoots straight across your lawn, you can bet 
she will be impulsive and unpredictable. One moment she can be playing
in your backyard, and in the next darting across the street. Although
your toddler's physical skills will allow her to move about quickly, 
her cognitive skills will take a while to catch up. To make matters
even more difficult, she will have very poor judgment and little 
understanding of danger. In her mind, a moving automobile is as harmless
as her own tricycle. And she will be unable to recognize boundaries
such as property lines, sidewalks, driveways, or streets. Combine all
this with the fact that she is so small and barely visible to drivers, 
and you can see why supervision near a street is always a must. Most
auto-pedestrian tragedies do, in fact, occur close to home - either on
the driveway or in front of the house. Also, they occur with some
frequency near schools and bus stops.

Indeed, auto-pedestrian accidents account for some staggering statistics.
Roughly 35 percent of all auto-pedestrian accident victims are toddlers.
And over five hundred children in this age group are killed in this way
each year. National estimates reveal that the majority of toddlers in 
the one-to-two year age range who are stuck by automobiles were hit 
when a vehicle was being backed down a driveway. Older toddlers, on the
other hand, were usually playing near their homes without supervision and
were hit by automobiles driving down the street.

THE THREE OUTS
Several common factors are typically associated with auto-pedestrian
accidents that involve toddlers. Be aware of these scenarios and avoid
them at all costs.

DART-OUTS. Most important is the "dart-out" move, which is when a child
darts from between or behind parked cars into the street. Often the 
driver of an oncoming vehicle has little warning when this occurs. Dart-
outs account for nearly 70 percent of auto-pedestrian accidents involving
young children. What prompts a young child to dart out into a street?
Sometimes a preschooler is chasing a ball or another toy, and at other
times is running after an adult, another child, or a pet.
* Move all cars from both sides of your street to decrease the chances 
of a dart-out.
* Never allow your toddler to play in the front yard.
* Always keep a close eye on her when she is near a street.

BACK-OUTS. Your toddler can also be injured if she happens to get behind
a car as it is being backed down a driveway. Always take the time to
fully walk around and to look beneath your vehicle before getting in.

AFTERNOON OUTS. What time of day do you think auto-accidents involving
toddlers and preschoolers are most likely to occur? Once again, 
this type of injury is very predictable. Most kids are struck by moving
vehicles after they have been released from school or day care but before
dinner - between the hours of 3:00 and 7:00pm. During this time, many
people are driving home from work. Keep your child away from streets,
especially between these hours.

WHAT TO TEACH YOUR CHILD
Educating your tike on pedestrian safety is one of the most important
protective actions you can take. She will carry this knowledge for the
rest of her life. Teach her the following rules during the preschool
years:
* Always hold the hand of a familiar adult when crossing a street or
intersection
* Never play in a street - this includes riding a toy, throwing a ball,
or talking with other children.
*Never chase a ball or a toy that rolls into the street.
*Never play on a driveway or in a parking lot without an adult.
*Never go in between or beneath a parked car.

Mark Brandenburg, M.D. is a full-time emergency physician at St. Francis
Hospital is Tulsa. The Trauma Emergency Center at St. Francis is the 
busiest emergency department in Oklahoma, with nearly 70,000 patient
visits each year, and serves as the regional trauma center for children.

This book is available in the Parents With Nannies Book Store .
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WORKERS COMPENSATION COVERAGE FOR YOUR NANNY

After a request from a parent who was trying to find 
affordable workers comp coverage, I decided to ask a
representative from State Farm to give us all the low down
on how it works. I also spoke with a representative of Protector
Insurance in NJ, who informed my that for Nannies who work 
under 40 hours per week, nothing more than your Homeowners 
Insurance is needed. For nannies who work over 40 hours, 
an employer can pay for additional coverage through his 
homeowners insurance at a minimal cost of $75 per year for
coverage up to $300,000. For one more dollar, you can increase
the coverage by $500,000.

STATE FARM'S RESPONSE
The key is workers compensation rules vary from 
state-to-state and a person who employs a nanny 
should check with their insurance agent to see what may 
apply to their situation in that particular state. 
A second factor is the number of hours the nanny works.

In general, from State Farm you'll see four different 
rules scenarios among the states:

1. Some states have no requirement for workers comp 
for nannies working fewer than 40 hours/week.

2. In some states, a person who employs a nanny can 
add an endorsement to their homeowners insurance policy 
called, "Contingent Workers Compensation." A workers 
comp policy would be initiated if there is a claim.

3. Others states have contingent workers comp as part 
of the homeowners policy, with no endorsement required.

4. Certain states have separate workers comp policies 
for domestic help working over 40 hours/week.

Obviously, your readers will be best served by contacting 
their insurance agent for a review of available options. 

Phil Supple, Corporate Public Affairs, State Farm Insurance.

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WEBSITE SPOTLIGHT

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF NANNIES
http://hometown.aol.com/nanannies/Index.htm

If you are a nanny and haven't found this site yet, you really
need to check it out. Even if you know about it but haven't 
been there in a while, there are new things happening constantly
so its time to take another look.

The National Association of Nannies is operated solely 
by nannies who are dedicated to the improvement of the 
nanny industry and the welfare of nannies. This website is
chock full of valuable information for both nannies and parents.
Here are the titles of some helpful articles you can find on
the site.

Tip Sheet for Hiring In Home Child Care
Growing as a Professional
The Professional Nanny 
Crafts Project
Interview Questions
A Toddler's Stress
Tips for How to Survive When Leaving a Family

You can also learn more about the NAN conference in September and
even register for a scholarship sponsored by AT&T. 

If you have a question regarding the nanny profession, you can
ask your question in their Nannies Ask forum and the answer may be
published in the NAN Newsletter and on their website.

The site also offers a long list of Nanny support groups, online
chats and email groups, as well as Nanny Training programs.

NAN is currently in the midst of a campaign to 
promote and publicize National Nanny Recognition Week which falls
on the week of September 24 - 30th. Check out the details and
find out how you can help spread the word.


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If you would like to suggest a favorite website to be featured in this 
newsletter, please email me at Deborah@4nanny.com.


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I hope you have enjoyed this month's issue of Nanny Net News.
HAPPY SPRING EVERYONE!
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Please send comments about this ezine to Deborah@4nanny.com

Copyright - 1999 Parents With Nannies, Inc. (www.4nanny.com) 
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