Despite What Hollywood Says, Most Families Make Excellent Nanny Employers

“The Nanny Diaries” Movie Not Representative of Austin Families

Austin, Texas –This past weekend marked the opening of the new movie “The Nanny Diaries”, but Mom’s Best Friend, Austin’s largest and most established nanny agency, noted that Central Texas families are nothing like the cold “X” family that is depicted in the movie (and previously, in the novel).
            “We have been placing nannies with families for 13 years and are so lucky not to have any clients who treat their nannies so poorly,” says Mom’s Best Friend president Kathy Dupuy. “In fact, we’ve seen the most amazing respect and appreciation for our nannies.”
            Often both parents work, and unlike the ungrateful family in “The Nanny Diaries”, families view the childcare provider as an integral component in making their household run smoothly. A recent survey from the International Nanny Association (INA) of over 1000 nannies reiterates this trend as 68% of employers were described as a “professional couple”. In most circumstances caregivers are valued, and there is a growing awareness that being a nanny is a serious career. The same INA study showed that 76% of the nannies surveyed were employed as full-time nannies and that 53% of the nannies had more than 5 years of nanny experience.
            “Our business has grown in large part because the number and size of nanny agencies has increased,” says Stephanie Breedlove, partner at Breedlove & Associates, the nation's leading provider of nanny tax and payroll services located in Austin. “Agencies are educating the public and setting the standards for the profession. As a result, we see more and more professional families hiring professional nannies – nannies who choose childcare as their long-term career and, therefore, enjoy a much higher level of responsibility, respect and position in the household.”
            Despite the variances in “The Nanny Diaries” from real life, Mom’s Best Friend supported the local Nanny Network event to watch the movie on opening night. After all, the entertainment industry rarely highlights nannies, and local caregivers were free to laugh, knowing that their employers are nothing like “Mr. and Mrs. X”.

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