Caregiver Onboarding

We match dedicated caregivers with families searching for the very best care. We take time to understand your skills, experience, and values so every placement is a fit.

A community, not a marketplace

What you'll cover

• Agency model — referral, not employer; two service lines
• Setup — app, Stripe, GroupMe, profile
• First day — dress, shift bag, the first ten minutes
• A day in our care — routines, meals, naps, screens, outside
• Safety — hazards, the order of calls, documentation
• Communication — the app, the daily note
• Policies — outside-app work, social media, confidentiality
• Your contract — the 12-month non-compete and the terms that bite
• Scheduling — coverage, transportation, mileage
• Pay & taxes — Stripe, thresholds, where to get real advice
• Certification — a short quiz and your signed acknowledgment

The work you'll be offered

On-call access is for active caregivers

Nothing about this is a mark against you. Life changes. We'd just rather families see a roster of people who can actually say yes.

Working outside the app

If Sandhills referred you to a family, member or not, you work with them through us. Always. If you meet a prospective caregiver or family, refer them back to us.

If a family asks about our pricing

Send them to our public terms. Never quote fees or terms yourself.

Everything runs through the app

Download the app

App Store or Google Play: search Sandhills Nanny Co. Sign in with the email we onboarded you with. Approve notifications or you'll miss bookings. Complete your profile fully: photo, bio, certifications, availability. A half-filled profile gets a fraction of the bookings.

Set up Stripe

Stripe is how families pay you. You can't accept a booking without it.

1. Avatar → My Jobs → Connect with Stripe
2. Verify with the same email as your Sandhills accountStripe texts you a code
3. Business type: Individual
4. Ownership type: Sole ProprietorshipEven if you've never thought of yourself that way
5. Add your bank accountRouting and account number. Deposits land within a few business days
6. Statement descriptor: use OUR detailsThis is the name on the family's card statement
7. Review and submitDouble-check the account number

Join the caregiver GroupMe

GroupMe is the active roster: coverage requests, agency announcements, and meeting your fellow caregivers. Use the same name as your app profile.

Finish this training

Complete the modules, pass the quiz, sign the acknowledgment. You'll be on the active roster within one business day.

Clean, tidy, ready for a sandy yard or a sudden storm

• AlwaysID, phone (silenced), water bottle, a layer
• First dayOpen the booking in the app on the way: notes, address, gate codes, parking
• Nice to haveA book you love reading aloud, a small craft, a deck of cards
• NeverYour own snacks, your own toys, anything from another family's home

Your first ten minutes

1. Arrive 10 minutes early; wait in the car if needed14 minutes early feels as chaotic as 5 late
2. Parent first, then children, then the dogEye level. Use their name. Say yours twice
3. Ask for the tour, even if you've been told everythingBathroom, snack cabinet, fire extinguisher, back door
4. Confirm the schedule out loud'Lunch around 12, nap at 1, you're back by 4?'
5. Ask: 'Anything I should know that isn't in the app?'This surfaces most of what the booking form missed
6. Walk the parent to the doorChildren part better when the parent leaves with confidence

A default day

• ArrivalGreeting, transition activity, water all around
• MorningOutside if at all possible
• SnackSeated at a table. Never standing, never in front of a screen
• Focused playOne activity, fully: puzzle, blocks, craft, book
• LunchTogether at the table. You eat what they eat, when they eat
• Quiet / napDim the room; follow the family's wind-down to the letter
• AfternoonOutside again, or messy play indoors
• Handoff prepLight tidy, daily note drafted, kids re-grounded

• All agesFollow the family's ritual exactly. Two books and white noise means two books and white noise. Note any deviation in the daily note
• InfantsBack to sleep, always, in an empty crib: no blankets, bumpers, pillows, or stuffed animals, even if the family does otherwise. If asked to, message the office first
• ToddlersHonor the lovey and the ritual. If they wake, five quiet minutes to self-settle; if they call your name, go
• School-ageQuiet time, not necessarily sleep. Don't insist on sleep if the family doesn't
• Co-sleepingNever, even if asked. Beside the bed or on the floor, never in it

Default is no screens, yours and theirs. If the family has a screen policy in writing through the app, follow it.

• YardEyes on, hands free. No phone in hand outside; a child can be in a pool in 14 seconds
• WalksUnder 4: hand held or stroller on any street. No exceptions on cul-de-sacs
• ParksWithin 10 feet, always. If you can't reach the child in three steps, you're too far

The 30-second room sweep

First time in a family's home, and any time you're in a new room with a child:

• WaterToilet lids down, tubs empty, pool gates latched, dog bowls out of crawler reach
• Cords and stringsBlind cords looped up; no necklaces, hood strings, or bibs at sleep
• Small objectsCoins, batteries, magnets, marbles, hair ties: pocket level for you, head level for them
• Chemicals and medsCleaning products, perfume, medication, dishwasher pods: locked or above 5 feet
• Stairs and doorsGates closed, exterior doors locked, garage down

The order of calls

1. StabilizeOut of water, away from heat, recovery position, CPR if needed
2. Call 911Always first. Parents will agree afterward
3. Call the parentOnce the child is stable or help is on the way. Calm voice, short facts
4. Message usUrgent flag in the app. We back you up and document

• ChokingUnder 1: 5 back blows, 5 chest thrusts. Over 1: Heimlich. Call 911 at the same time. Never reach blindly into the mouth; if they're coughing, let them cough
• Allergic reactionEpiPen first, 911 second, parent third. Allergies and EpiPen location are in the booking notes; find them on day one. Never wait to see if it gets worse
• Fall or head injuryKeep them still. 911 for any loss of consciousness, vomiting, or unequal pupils. Otherwise ice, observe 24 hours, tell the parent in person, write an incident note
• BurnCool running water 15 minutes. No butter, ice, or ointment. Loose clean cloth. 911 if bigger than the child's palm or on face, hands, or groin
• Lost in publicStay put. Call their name. Tell the nearest adult to flag staff. Not found in 60 seconds: 911
• Stranger at the doorDon't open it. Don't say you're alone with kids. 'The homeowner will get back to you.' Then message the parent and us

The incident note

Any injury bigger than a normal scrape, any near-miss, any moment a parent might ask about later: open the incident note in the app before you leave. Factual, brief, timestamped. Never speculate, never blame.

Three lines, every shift

Ate. Did. Felt. Plus one photo, only if the family opted in. Faces never go anywhere else.

What you don't share with families

Anything about another family or another Sandhills caregiver. Your opinion of their parenting, or your personal life, unless asked. Politics, religion, gossip. 'That's a long story for another day' is always enough.

Common violations

• Working outside the app with agency clients
• Direct communication with clients outside the app
• Posting children's images without written permission
• No call, no show
• Calling out without finding coverage
• More than two coverage requests in a week
• Calling out for illness or emergency without documentation
• Negative reviews from families
• False reimbursement requests
• False start or checkout times
• Missing mandatory meetings
• Not working at least once a week through the app

Zero tolerance

The home stays in the home

What you see and hear doesn't leave with you. Not to friends, other caregivers, your partner, or GroupMe. You discuss a specific family only with our team, and only when there's a reason.

Hard moments

12-month non-compete and non-solicitation

You may not work with an Agency Client outside the agency for 12 months after your last shift or Work Agreement. 'Agency Client' means any on-call member family and any family we've placed with. If a client solicits you directly, cash, off-app, on the side, you must notify us immediately. Violation may mean legal action and a penalty equal to the full placement payment for that hire. This is separate from, and in addition to, the $2,160 on-call referral fee in Module 2.

Certifications and background checks

• CPR / First AidMust stay valid at all times. We don't remind you. Lapse means referrals are suspended until you send proof
• Annual background checkYou consented. Refusal or non-compliance pauses referrals
• Annual drug testSame. Initial background check and drug test is a $48 non-refundable fee
• Social media reviewA 7-year review of public posts, repeated periodically. Flags hate speech, threats, drug imagery, explicit content
• Resume and referencesKept current in the app to stay in the active pool

Attendance, tardiness, and coverage

Cell phones

• Strictly prohibitedOperating a phone while driving, with or without a child. No texting, no holding, no scrolling at a red light
• Strictly prohibitedPhone use while operating any equipment: stroller on a hill, hot stove, knives, pool steps
• DiscouragedPersonal phone use during anything that needs attention: play, baths, meals, walks, pickup. Phone visible to a family is a strike
• AllowedIn-app booking communication, daily notes, emergencies. The app is your work phone

Confidentiality and reporting changes

• No client name, address, phone, email, or identifying information disclosed to anyone, by any means
• Report all hours accurately and promptly
• Any change in duties, hours, or arrangement goes to the agency before it takes effect
• If a family offers you employment without consulting us, tell us immediately
• If you're referred to a client's contractor (tutor, swim coach), notify us; any placement fee is the third party's responsibility

Placement-nanny terms

Permanent placements are W-2 with the family. Any deviation must be reported to us immediately. Give notice per your Work Agreement if you must end early. Report modifications, termination, or client misconduct promptly.

Indemnification and liability

You agreed to defend and indemnify Sandhills Nanny Co., its owners, and officers in any lawsuit between you and a referred family, and released the agency from claims, losses, and attorney's fees arising from a referral, except for the agency's intentional misconduct or gross negligence. North Carolina law governs; disputes are filed in the specified jurisdiction.

Agency's right to terminate

The Agreement may be terminated by the agency at any time, with or without cause. We may decline referrals to any caregiver for any lawful reason. Modifications are valid only in writing, signed by both parties.

Seek coverage in GroupMe, immediately

1. Post the moment you knowDate, time window, child ages, town. Never the family's name or address
2. DM anyone who respondsConfirm they meet the booking's age and skill requirements
3. Message the agency through the appWe update the booking on the family's side
4. If no one can cover, tell us as early as possibleFailure to secure coverage may result in dismissal, unless you have documentation: illness, emergency, bereavement

Repeated absences or no-shows: damaged reputation, lost bookings, potential financial responsibility for agency losses, immediate dismissal.

On-call access depends on regular availability. If you can't work on-call for a season, tell us and we'll hold you in the reserve placement pool, still eligible for nanny placements, until you're ready to come back. That's a conversation, not a strike. Going quiet without telling us is different: not working at least once a week through the app is a listed violation (Module 8).

If you drive a child

• Driving recordClean record and active insurance, always. We may ask for proof. Disclose any new violation within 48 hours
• Car seatsProvided by the family when NC law requires. Never drive a child without one
• Minimum3 hours on any booking that includes transportation
• MileageIRS per-mile rate for specialized transportation. Label it 'Childcare Commuting' at checkout; wrong labels delay payment

Frequently asked

1. The family pays through the appCard only. Never cash, Venmo, Zelle, or check from a family
2. Stripe routes it to your bankWithin a few business days; it shows on your dashboard when it lands
3. We deduct nothingYour full earnings are yours. The agency is paid separately by the family

• Track everythingEven across several families each under the W-2 threshold, you must report your income. The app keeps a running total
• ClassificationW-2 responsibility is the family's. If an on-call family crosses the threshold and hasn't issued one, tell us; we'll send a formal message and resources
• Report either wayIf a family misclassifies you or doesn't send a W-2, you're still responsible for reporting, independently or by requesting it from them
• ThresholdsAn IRS dollar amount. Once a family pays you over it in a calendar year, certain rules apply. We share the current year's figure separately

Franny at HomeWork Solutions

Franny specializes in household employment tax and works with many caregivers in your situation. How to describe us: a referral agency, not your employer; you choose which jobs to accept; payment runs through the app from the family; we don't schedule, train, or supervise. If she has deeper questions, loop us in.