Nannies have, literally, been around for centuries! As far back as the early 17th Century, nursery maids, as nannies were then referred to, have been helping parents look after their children. Today, nannies are fastly becoming very popular in the United States and they are not only being hired by the wealthy. Middle class, American families are hiring nannies also. If you have never hired a nanny before, you need to find out what to expect from them.

Your Cherry Creek Nanny is you when you are not there. She will "bathe, feed and dress the children. Nannies also prepare meals for the children and keep the children's areas of the home neat and tidy. Nannies play with the children they care for and provide opportunities for them to interact with other kids at playgrounds or parks.

In earlier years, nannies worked around the clock, caring for the kids even when their mother may have been home. Today, most nannies care for the children while the parents are at work, although some wealthy families hire a day nanny and a night nanny to provide 24-hour childcare coverage." (www.ehow.com)

The benefits of hiring a Cherry Creek Nanny to look after your children are obvious. You do not have to worry about them while you are not physically with them. Depending on the number of children under your nanny's care, if they are older or, if only one toddler, you may arrange with the nanny to straighten up other areas of the house while the child is either at school or napping.

The ideal Cherry Creek Nanny will have certain degree of education where she will be able to provide educational entertainment for your children. She is not to be "a bump on a log", simply sitting around watching your children with one eye, while the other eye is glued to the soap opera on television.

Another benefit of a Cherry Creek Nanny is that you are able to set the schedule for both her and the children, and feel confident knowing that such is followed.

If your nanny is full-time, she will also accompany you on family vacations and trips, to allow you freedom to relax, as your vacations are intended for.

Normally, your Cherry Creek Nanny will come from an employment agency. Initially, you are responsible for paying the agency for locating a nanny for you. After a stipulated trial period, which is normally set by the agency, you will begin to pay your nanny directly.

Some of the variants which affect a nanny's salary include:

• "The number of hours care is needed each week. A full time nanny will typically average 45 hours per week. Longer scheduled days will require additional compensation. If the work week is expected to be greater than 55 hours per week, the family is advised to split the job between two employees.
• Geographic region of country. The highest salaries are paid in major metro markets such as Boston, New York, Washington, Atlanta, San Francisco and Seattle.
• Whether position is live-in or live-out (in some areas a live-in nanny's salary is less; in other parts of the country there is little or no difference).
• The nanny's experience.
• The number of children and the job responsibilities. Benefits, such as health insurance. " (www.4nannies.com)

The average pay scale, according to 2008 figures, for a full-time Cherry Creek Nanny is, as follows:

• "18 - 20 years old, or less than 2 years verifiable child care experience - $325-$450 live-in; $9.00-12.00 hour live-out. (7/2008 Fed. Minimum wage = $7.25/hr).
• 21 years or older, 2 or more years verifiable child care experience, no prior nanny experience (note that college education puts you to the higher end of the salary range) - $350-$550 live-in; $10-15 hour live-out.
• Two or more years of nanny experience, and/or a college degree in a child related field - $400-800 live-in; $10-18 hour live-out, higher in major metro markets." (www.4nannies.com)

If you or your spouse have jobs which are either part-time, you work for yourselves or have older children, a part-time Cherry Creek Nanny may be the best solution for you.

Part-time nannies all live-out - i.e., they do not live in your home. A part-time nanny will cost you no less than $12 per hour. Due to the fact that part-time nannies are hard to find, you may end up paying up to $25 per hour, depending on her qualifications, experience and references.

Cherry Creek Nannies expect to be paid additional wages, aside from their paychecks, in the form of a compensation package. Some of these extras include:

• "Paid Time Off (PTO): (typically 5 - 15 days paid, some scheduling at family's discretion).
• Health insurance (typically 50% paid by family for first year, often fully paid after first year).
• Reimbursement for mileage if nanny is required to use personal automobile to transport children.
• Six or more Federal holidays paid (New Years, Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas always).
• Annual performance and wage reviews." (www.4nannies.com).