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NYC baby sitters, beware - your days as amateur caregivers may be numbered.
In the tradition of "Nanny 911" and "Supernanny," a Britinspired school for professional nannies opened this fall on Madison Avenue.
According to founders Monique and Saul Moskowitz and Doug Kozinn, America's private child-care workers need to follow in the footsteps of their more formally trained UK counterparts.
This begins, they say, with looking at nannying as a long-term career, not just a temporary gig.
"In England, you can go to college to become a professional nanny, and it's very well-respected," says Saul, who started the Absolute Best Care nanny agency with his wife in 2002 after they had a hard time finding decent care for their own child.
Originally based in New Jersey, ABC now has its corporate headquarters in Manhattan and franchises in Connecticut, New Jersey, Long Island and - randomly - Las Vegas.
"We're trying to bring that consistency throughout the whole country, so nannies can have more success, as opposed to just being baby sitters," Saul says.
To wit, the Absolute Best Care Learning Center's seven-day program is approved by the New York State Board of Education, and will offer, for $3,500, aspiring (or current) nannies a certified course of instruction.
Classes will address various ways to bring out your inner Mary Poppins. Household management is a big focus: "What we're going to do is teach nannies, even before they begin the job, how to have a sit-down with the family and go over every aspect of the job, so everything is outlined from the beginning," says Monique.
And everything will be kept strictly by the book - literally. Nannies will be taught to document their days for parental review.
"They'll be able to go back and say, 'Look what I did this week - these are the books I read the children, these are the play dates I set up,' " says Saul.
When it comes to teaching the ins and outs of the terrible twos, says Kozinn, "we try to make it as real an environment as possible.
For example, we might have Saul throw a tantrum in the corner."
Nancy Bastian, a 52-year-old nanny with 10 years of experience, is one of the students enrolled for the first session, which began on Oct. 26.
Bastian thinks certification is a good way to prove that one is serious about nannying.
And the economic climate may yet turn out to be a boon for the Learning Center. Bastian says one of her main motivators for signing up was the thought of a future steady paycheck.
"I'm currently not employed by one family, so I'm taking classes that I hope will lead me to that next position - hopefully with a wonderful family."
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