Every family wants essentially the same from their mother’s helper, which first and foremost, is someone with whom they feel their children will be safe and that is engaged and loving. Additionally, with a mother’s helper, you want someone who takes initiative with the household duties and can work with you to balance caring for the children and the home. How do you find this person? Though there is a fee involved in using an agency, there are many costs, frustrations and inconveniences associated with trying to find the best mother’s helper for you and your children on your own: pay to place an ad; wait; screen the dozens of candidates that may respond; meet with many candidates in your home; make dozens of phone calls to check references; pay to have a professional background investigation conducted; pay to have a motor vehicle background check; pay to have her attend CPR & 1st Aid training. There are many costs and uncertainties involved in this process, not to even mention your valuable time. Therefore, to hire a mother’s helper with whom you can trust your children will be safe and that is the best fit for your needs, it makes sense to use an agency to do all the legwork for you.

How do you know an agency is good? Ask yourself these questions:

• Is this agency of a member of the International Nanny Association? The INA is the major organization for nanny and domestic placement agencies in the U.S. and provides much guidance and protocol for the agencies to follow in their practices.
• How do the agencies check references? Most agencies do not fully check references. Do they call each of the references related to housekeeping that the candidate provides? What questions do they ask? Do they ask for examples of behavior or do they ask vague open-ended questions? Do they give you a copy of the questions asked and notes taken from the reference check?
• Does the agency send each person placed for CPR & 1st Aid training, if they are not currently certified? This is a rare service, but exemplifies an excellent agency.
• Does the agency do a DMV, Social Security and State-wide Criminal for each state the mother's helper has lived in for the past 7 years? Most agencies only check Colorado criminal background. 
• Does the agency provide information to you regarding domestic worker payroll taxes and insurance? A good agency should provide you with recommendations on reputable services or software you can use to calculate these taxes.
• Does the agency sign a contract with you that spell out the terms of their engagement, the services they provide, and their prices and guarantees?