Find, check, hire and work well with the right childcare, step by step
A complete kit for choosing a nursery, childminder, nanny, nanny share or au pair, with the spreadsheets, forms, agreement template and exact words for every stage, from the first advert to a kind goodbye.
- An Excel Childcare Manager: true monthly cost of each option, candidate pipeline, weighted interview scores, references, visits, pay and hours, leave and cover, and a dashboard
- Six fillable forms for the brief, interview, reference calls, nursery visits, trial day and monthly check-in, plus 70 interview questions
- A childcare agreement template, a house rules handbook and 36 scripts and letters, including offers and endings
- Dated country notes for the UK, US, Canada, Australia, India, UAE and Singapore, with official sources to check
Childcare Hiring and Management Kit · Bodhih Pro Kits · 103 by Bodhih Training, trainers to 2,000+ companies since 2008.
How do I hire a nanny or choose childcare safely?
Write a brief first (hours, budget, non-negotiables), compare types of care on true monthly cost, interview with the same scenario questions for everyone, verify references independently, follow your country's official background check process, run a paid trial day and agree everything in writing. The Childcare Hiring and Management Kit from Bodhih Training gives you a tool for each step.
Want the full free guide first? Read How to Hire a Nanny: A Step-by-Step Guide for Parents.
You already feel the problem. Here is what it is costing you.
The deadline is close and the options are a fog
Your leave ends soon, the nursery has a waiting list and everyone has a strong opinion. Without a brief and a way to compare, every option feels equally right and equally risky.
Headline prices hide the real cost
A nanny's hourly rate or a nursery's daily fee is only the start. Employer costs, extras, closures and support schemes change the picture, and gross versus net pay catches many families out.
Interviews feel pleasant and tell you little
A friendly chat in the living room reveals warmth but not how someone handles a fever, a fall or a tantrum. And references that come from a number the candidate gave you may not be what they seem.
Small things build up once care starts
Late finishes, screen time, a broken house rule, a holiday with no cover. Without a rhythm for talking, small irritations turn into the conversation nobody wants.
Picture the next few weeks with the kit open beside you.
Picture the evening you open the kit. You start the Childcare-Needs-Brief.pdf, write your week hour by hour and notice the late Wednesday you had forgotten. You type your start date into the Settings sheet and the Dashboard shows the days you have. The eight-week plan drops into your calendar.
By the end of the week you have compared three real options on the Options sheet. As you read the monthly cost beside each score, the decision stops being a feeling and becomes a choice you can explain to anyone in the family.
When you run your interviews, you ask every candidate the same scenario about a feverish child, score separately and enter the numbers the same afternoon. You call referees you found yourself, and the reference sheet tells you who needs a follow-up call.
Imagine an ordinary Tuesday a few months on. The house rules are written, the daily log says she ate the pasta, the Pay and Hours sheet is up to date and next month's holiday cover is already confirmed. Whether you start with the brief tonight or the decision card tomorrow, each step has a file waiting for it.
20 files that do the work for you
The e-book shows you how. The tools make it happen. Here is exactly what you download.
Childcare Hiring and Management Kit (e-book, PDF)
The guide: methods, worked examples, scripts and exercises
Start-here map
The childcare job as eight steps with the file to open at each, your first hour, and a 30/60/90-day plan.
Childcare Manager workbook
Master workbook with 11 working sheets and a dashboard: settings, option cost comparison, candidate pipeline, weighted interview scores, reference log, visit scores, pay and hours with overtime, leave and cover, daily log, check-ins and monthly budget.
Childcare needs brief
Three-page fillable brief: your week hour by hour, your child, place, budget, non-negotiables, what you offer and your deadline.
Interview guide and scorecard
Three-page fillable guide: 15-minute phone screen, structured interview running order with scenario prompts, and an independent scorecard with red flag check.
Reference check call sheet
Two-page fillable call sheet: verifying the referee, eleven questions in order, exact phrases, and a clear result.
Nursery and childminder visit checklist
Three-page fillable checklist for visiting a nursery, daycare, childminder or club: six scored areas, questions to ask, and fees and terms.
Trial day review
Two-page fillable plan and review for a paid trial day: preparation checklist, what you saw on five areas, and a clear decision.
Monthly check-in
Two-page fillable agenda for a 30-minute monthly check-in with your carer or setting, also usable as a probation review or exit conversation.
Job adverts and interview question bank
Six advert templates (full-time, after-school, nanny share, live-in, au pair, babysitter) each with a short version, plus 70 interview questions in seven groups and what good answers sound like.
Childcare agreement template (to adapt with local advice)
Editable agreement for a nanny, privately engaged carer or au pair: 13 sections with plain-language 'Decide' notes, a nanny share schedule and signatures.
House rules and handover handbook
Editable handbook in 14 short sections, from 'About our child' to a printable emergency page, plus a day-one handover checklist.
Script and letter library
36 scripts, messages and ready-to-send letters: replies to applicants, offers, first-week welcome, praise, corrections, recurring issues, safety lapses, cover requests, references and kind endings.
Worked example pack: the Mensah family
The brief, option summary, interview scorecard, reference notes, visit checklist, trial day review and first check-in, completely filled in for one illustrative family.
AI prompt pack for childcare hiring
29 tool-agnostic prompts grouped by the seven steps of the job, each with what to paste in and what to check before you use the output.
Which childcare? Decision card
Five questions that point you to the right type of care, rules of thumb, and the five-step concern ladder.
Red flags, green flags and hiring mistakes
Eight red flags, seven green flags and ten hiring mistakes with what to do instead.
Country notes (dated October 2026)
Employer duties, childcare support and checks for the UK, US, Canada, Australia, India, UAE and Singapore, with official sources to verify.
8-week childcare hiring plan calendar
43 calendar events from writing the brief to the first monthly check-in, each naming the file to open. Import into a new calendar and move the dates to suit you.
Childcare hiring board import
41 cards ready for Trello, Asana, Notion, Planner or Jira: the 8-week plan as tasks with stage, file to open and due date, plus blank candidate cards.
Chapter by chapter
Each chapter opens with a real situation, gives you a method and ends with something to do today, using the tools in your kit.
- Format
- PDF e-book + XLSX + fillable PDF + DOCX + printable PDF + ICS + CSV
- Files
- 20 files plus a one-click ZIP
- E-book
- 62 pages
- Workbook
- 11 working sheets with sample data, formulas and a dashboard, plus a Start here sheet
- Works with
- Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice, Word, Google Docs, Acrobat Reader, GoodNotes, Google Calendar, Outlook, Apple Calendar, Trello, Asana, Notion, Planner, Jira
- Best for
- Parents and carers of babies and young children arranging or managing childcare, worldwide
Start With Your Brief, Not the Advert
Write a one-page brief with hours as numbers, budget, non-negotiables and a deadline before you advertise anything.
Which Kind of Childcare Fits Your Family?
Compare nursery, childminder, nanny, nanny share, au pair, family help and mixes on fit, not fashion.
What Childcare Really Costs (and How to Pay Less of It)
Find the true monthly cost in four layers and avoid the gross and net pay trap.
Finding People and Places
Search where checks already exist, write adverts that filter, and reply to everyone.
Interviews That Show You How Someone Really Cares for Children
Run phone screens and structured interviews with real scenarios, and score independently.
Checks, References and Visits
Check identity, references and official background checks in order, and visit settings while children are there.
The Trial Day, the Offer and the Agreement
Run a paid trial day, make a conditional offer and put every arrangement in a written agreement.
The First Month: House Rules, Handover and Settling In
Write house rules once, plan the handover and settle in over four weeks.
Working Well Together: Communication, Feedback, Pay and Cover
Keep a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly rhythm for feedback, pay, leave and cover.
When Things Go Wrong, and Ending Well
Use the concern ladder to match your response to the problem, and end arrangements kindly.
Not just reading. Tools you will actually open again.
E-book
- Childcare Hiring and Management: 10 chapters, 2 appendices and 6 hand-drawn figures (PDF)
Start here
- 00-Start-Here-Childcare-Map.pdf: the job in eight steps, your first hour and a 30/60/90-day plan
Spreadsheet
- Childcare-Manager.xlsx: Settings, Options, Candidates, Interviews, References, Visits, Pay and Hours, Leave and Cover, Daily Log, Check-ins and Budget sheets, plus a Dashboard with a pipeline chart
Fillable PDF forms
- Childcare-Needs-Brief.pdf
- Interview-Guide-and-Scorecard.pdf
- Reference-Check-Call-Sheet.pdf
- Nursery-and-Childminder-Visit-Checklist.pdf
- Trial-Day-Review.pdf
- Monthly-Check-In.pdf
Word templates
- Job-Adverts-and-Interview-Question-Bank.docx: 6 advert templates and 70 interview questions
- Childcare-Agreement-Template.docx: 13 sections with plain-language notes, plus a nanny share schedule
- House-Rules-and-Handover-Handbook.docx: 14 short sections and a printable emergency page
- Childcare-Script-and-Letter-Library.docx: 36 scripts, messages and ready-to-send letters
- AI-Prompt-Pack-for-Childcare-Hiring.docx: 29 prompts grouped by step
- Worked-Example-Pack-the-Mensah-Family.docx: the main forms completely filled in for one illustrative family
Cheat sheets
- Which-Childcare-Decision-Card.pdf
- Red-Flags-Green-Flags-and-Hiring-Mistakes.pdf
- Country-Notes-October-2026.pdf
Calendar and board
- 8-Week-Childcare-Hiring-Plan.ics: 43 calendar events
- Childcare-Hiring-Board.csv: 41 cards for Trello, Asana, Notion, Planner or Jira
When you have worked through it, you will be able to…
Every outcome is practised with a worked example and a tool, not just described.
- Write a childcare brief that every later decision reads from
- Compare types of care on true monthly cost, cost per hour and a fit score
- Write adverts that filter applicants with one real question
- Run structured interviews with scenario questions and independent scoring
- Check references you have verified yourself and follow your country's official background check process
- Run a paid trial day and make a clear, conditional offer
- Adapt a written agreement and house rules handbook with local advice
- Keep pay, leave, cover and monthly check-ins on track, and end arrangements kindly
Know your starting point. Prove your progress.
People who measure before and after improve faster and can show it. AssessAll, our sister assessment platform, has AI-graded assessments that pair with this kit. Take one now, work through the kit, then re-take it.
Interviewer Judgment & Hiring Bias
Take the assessment →AssessAll assessmentEarly Years & Childcare Practice Judgment
Take the assessment →AssessAll assessmentEveryday Agreements Assessment: Reading What You Are About to Sign
Take the assessment →JobularyTurn what you learn into a measured development plan (Jobulary)
Make it a growth plan →A taste of Chapter 4
A good advert has six parts: who you are (without identifying details), what the job is, hours as numbers, pay range and benefits, what you need (non-negotiables), and how to apply, including one question applicants must answer. That question does a lot of filtering. "In two or three sentences, tell us how you would settle a one-year-old who cries when her parent leaves" separates thoughtful carers from mass applicants. It also gives you something real to talk about at interview. Open the Job-Adverts-and-Interview-Question-Bank.docx. Part 1 has advert templates for a full-time nanny, a part-time or after-school nanny, a nanny share, a live-in carer, an au pair placement and a babysitter, each with a short version for community groups. Copy the closest one and fill the brackets from your brief.
The honest comparison
| Free templates and typical advice | This kit | |
|---|---|---|
| Choosing the type of care | A list of pros and cons | A five-question decision card plus an Options sheet that converts every rate to a true monthly cost and ranks the options |
| Interviews | A list of 20 questions | 70 questions in seven groups, a structured running order, scenario prompts and a weighted scorecard with a red flag override |
| References and checks | "Always check references" | A call sheet with eleven questions, independent verification, a log that flags gaps, and dated country notes on background checks |
| Contract | A generic contract from one country | An agreement template with plain-language notes for each decision, a nanny share schedule and reminders to check local law |
| After the start | Nothing | House rules handbook, daily log, pay and hours, leave and cover, monthly check-ins and a concern ladder |
Made for you if…
- Parents and carers returning to work after leave, in any family shape
- Families choosing between a nursery, childminder, nanny, nanny share or au pair
- First-time household employers who want to get pay, leave and paperwork right
- Grandparents raising grandchildren, adoptive and foster families arranging care
- Families who already have a carer and want a calmer working relationship
- Two families setting up a nanny share
Probably not for you if…
- Childcare providers looking for business or staffing templates for a nursery
- Anyone wanting legal, tax or immigration advice for their country: the kit points you to official sources instead
- Families looking for medical advice on feeding, sleep or development: follow your health professional
Built by trainers, tested in real rooms.
Bodhih Training has designed and delivered corporate programmes since 2008. Bodhih Pro Kits package what works in those workshops into a guide plus the exact tools we use, so you can apply it the same day without a facilitator in the room.
From here to using it in three steps
- STEP 1
Tap Get the kit
Name, email and country. UPI, card or netbanking in India; international cards everywhere else. No account to create.
- STEP 2
Download instantly
Your download page opens at once, with every file and a one-click ZIP. A permanent link lands in your inbox too.
- STEP 3
Open the first tool
Start with the quick-start chapter, then the main spreadsheet or planner. Most buyers use something from the kit the same day.
Start with the brief tonight
Open the Childcare-Needs-Brief.pdf and write your week hour by hour; the rest of the kit reads from it. Whether you begin with the brief this evening or the decision card over breakfast, each step after it has a date and a file waiting.
Personal licence for the buyer's own use (and use with your own team or clients where the kit says so). Please don't share or resell the files. Team and company licences: solutions@bodhih.com.
The Bodhih family, when you are ready for more
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AssessAll
250+ AI-graded assessments to measure skills and earn verified credentials.
Jobulary
Individual development plans that start from evidence and stay yours.
Bodhih Training
Run this topic as a live workshop for your team, in person or online.
Pewple
Book a vetted coach for career, leadership or communication. Pay per session.
Bodhih.org pathways
Certification pathways in Applied AI, Workplace English and management.
Childcare Hiring and Management Kit: FAQs
Read the free guideAlready bought? Resend my linkWhat questions should I ask a nanny in an interview?
Ask every candidate the same core questions about experience, safety, daily care, behaviour, communication, reliability and fit, and include at least two real scenarios, such as a feverish child you cannot reach a parent about. The kit includes 70 questions in seven groups and a guide to what good answers sound like.
Is a nanny, a childminder or a nursery best for my child?
There is no single best type. The right choice depends on your hours, your true budget, how much your child needs one familiar adult right now, how much admin you can carry and your backup plan. The decision card walks through those five questions and the Options sheet compares the real monthly cost.
How much does a nanny really cost?
More than the hourly rate. Depending on your country, the full cost can include employer taxes or contributions, pension, insurance, holiday and sick pay, food and travel, minus any support you receive. The kit shows you how to build that number and points you to official sources rather than guessing rates.
Will the agreement template work in my country?
It is a starting point covering the decisions every arrangement needs, with plain-language notes. Employment law for nannies and domestic workers differs by country and changes often, so adapt it with your official guidance and a payroll service, employment adviser or lawyer where needed.
Is this kit legal, tax or medical advice?
No. It is educational content from a training company. Rules on employment, tax, childcare funding and background checks differ by country, so the kit gives dated country notes and links to official sources to check. For feeding, sleep, development and health, follow your doctor, health visitor, nurse or paediatrician.
Does it help if we are choosing a nursery rather than hiring a nanny?
Yes. The visit checklist, Visits sheet, decision card, contract questions, letters for accepting and leaving a place, and the settling-in and check-in tools all work for nurseries, daycare, childminders and clubs.
How can I measure my starting point as an interviewer?
If you want to measure your starting point, the AssessAll Interviewer Judgment and Hiring Bias assessment looks at how you judge candidates, and the Everyday Agreements Assessment helps you read what you are about to sign. The Early Years and Childcare Practice Judgment assessment can support a conversation about practice with your carer.
Can my carer and I use the kit to plan their development?
Yes. The monthly check-in includes training and support, and you can turn what you both learn into a simple development plan with Jobulary.
Can I share the files with another family in a nanny share?
The personal licence covers your own family and use with your own carer, including sharing the agreement and house rules you create with your share partners. For other families to use the tools themselves, they need their own copy. Team and company licences: solutions@bodhih.com.
What is the refund policy?
Digital kits are non-refundable once downloaded. The exceptions are corrupted files that are not fixed within 3 working days, duplicate charges, or failed delivery.
How much does Childcare Hiring and Management Kit cost?
₹999 including 18% GST for buyers in India, or $29 for buyers outside India. One-time payment, no subscription, with an automatic invoice.
How do I get the files after paying?
Instantly. Your download page opens the moment payment succeeds, and a permanent download link is emailed to you. Download each file separately or everything in one ZIP.
What software do I need?
Any of the usual tools: Excel or Google Sheets for spreadsheets, Word or Google Docs for templates, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Preview, Xodo or GoodNotes for the fillable PDFs, and Google, Outlook or Apple Calendar for the calendar plan.
Can I get a refund?
Because it is a digital download, kits are not refundable once downloaded. We always refund a duplicate charge or a failed delivery, and if a file is corrupted and we cannot fix it within 3 working days. Full terms: bodhih.org/refunds.
Can my company buy this for a team?
Yes. Team and company licences, and workshops on this topic run by Bodhih Training, are available. Write to solutions@bodhih.com or call +91 99000 11601.
