Direct answer
Choose a nanny agency that explains exactly how it screens candidates, runs and updates background checks, lets you meet candidates in person before anyone enters your home, puts its fees and replacement terms in writing, and has a real track record in Houston. Compare two or three agencies against the checklist below. We have included how Southwest Domestics, a Houston placement agency founded in 1990, answers each question so you can hold us to the same standard.
The checklist
1. Screening
What to ask any agency: Ask how candidates are vetted beyond a background check: references, required experience, and how the agency judges character and reliability.
How Southwest Domestics answers: Southwest Domestics only presents providers with previous experience and verifiable references, and our vetting looks for character, reliability, and a genuine passion for service.
2. Background checks
What to ask any agency: Ask who runs the checks, whether every person is checked, and whether checks are updated after placement. Ask whether providers are bonded and insured.
How Southwest Domestics answers: All Southwest Domestics personnel undergo background checks, which are regularly updated, and all are bonded and insured. See how we screen.
3. Guarantees and replacement
What to ask any agency: Ask what happens if the nanny is not the right fit, whether a replacement costs extra, and get the terms in writing before you pay.
How Southwest Domestics answers: We offer hassle-free replacements: if the match is not right, we help you find a better one at no additional cost.
4. Fees
What to ask any agency: Ask for every fee up front: registration, placement or finder’s fees, hourly rates by experience, overtime, and visit minimums.
How Southwest Domestics answers: A one-time $175 registration fee, no finder’s fee, free interviews, a 4-hour minimum per visit, and published hourly rates by experience class on our rates page. Live-out hours over 40 per week are billed at overtime according to Texas law.
5. In-person interviews
What to ask any agency: Ask whether you will meet candidates face to face before anyone comes into your home, and how many you will see.
How Southwest Domestics answers: You meet 4–5 pre-screened candidates in person at our office, 13847 Stafford Rd, Stafford, TX 77477. Each interview usually lasts 10–20 minutes, and you can take as long as you need.
6. Years in business
What to ask any agency: Ask how long the agency has placed nannies in Houston and whether it has a local office you can visit.
How Southwest Domestics answers: Southwest Domestics was founded in 1990 and has served Houston families for 35+ years from its Stafford office.
7. Who employs the nanny
What to ask any agency: Ask whether the nanny is the agency’s employee or contractor or your own household employee, and who handles payroll taxes.
How Southwest Domestics answers: Our providers are employees or contractors of Southwest Domestics. As an agency we cover taxes and related payroll obligations, and families may be able to write off up to $5,000 per year; ask your tax advisor how it applies to you.
Printable checklist
- ☐ The agency explains its screening and requires prior experience and verifiable references
- ☐ Every candidate is background-checked, checks are updated, and placements are bonded and insured
- ☐ Replacement terms are clear, in writing, and say whether a replacement costs extra
- ☐ All fees are listed up front: registration, finder’s or placement fee, hourly rates, overtime, minimums
- ☐ You meet several candidates in person before anyone comes into your home
- ☐ The agency has years of local history and an office you can visit
- ☐ You know who employs the nanny and who handles payroll taxes
Red flags
- No chance to meet candidates before the first day in your home
- Vague answers about what the background check covers or when it was run
- Fees that only appear after you sign
- No written replacement policy
- No local address or office
Agency, marketplace, or do it yourself?
Online marketplaces and word-of-mouth hires can work, and they give you a wide pool, but you handle the screening, reference calls, background check, and payroll yourself. A placement agency does that work before you meet anyone and stands behind the placement. For a step-by-step look at the hiring process, read how to hire a nanny in Houston, and for budgeting see what a nanny costs in Houston.
Houston-specific questions to raise
- Driving: many Houston schedules involve school runs and activities across town; ask whether the agency matches for driving and whether you provide a car.
- Pools: if your home has a pool, ask whether the agency screens for swimming ability.
- Commute: families in Katy, The Woodlands, or Sugar Land should ask how the agency matches candidates who can reliably reach their home, or whether a live-in nanny makes more sense.
- Overtime: ask how hours over 40 per week are billed for live-out nannies.
How placement works
- Consultation: we discuss your household needs, schedule, and family culture.
- Selection: we present 4–5 hand-picked, vetted candidates.
- Interviews: you meet candidates in person at our office, 13847 Stafford Rd, Stafford, TX 77477. Interviews are free; each usually lasts 10–20 minutes, and the whole visit typically takes about an hour to an hour and a half.
- Placement: we handle the details, provide ongoing support, and offer a replacement at no extra cost if the match is not right.
Frequently asked questions
What should I look for in a Houston nanny agency?
Clear screening with prior experience and verifiable references, regularly updated background checks, bonded and insured placements, in-person interviews before anyone enters your home, written fees and replacement terms, and a long local track record.
How long has Southwest Domestics been in business?
Southwest Domestics was founded in 1990 and has placed nannies, housekeepers, and caregivers with Houston-area families for 35+ years.
Does Southwest Domestics charge a finder’s fee?
No. There is a one-time $175 registration fee, no finder’s fee, and interviews are free.
What happens if the nanny is not the right fit?
We offer a replacement at no additional cost and help you find a better match.
Will I meet the nanny before they come to my home?
Yes. You interview 4–5 pre-screened candidates in person at our Stafford office, 13847 Stafford Rd, Stafford, TX 77477.
Is an agency better than a marketplace?
It depends on how much screening you want to do yourself. Marketplaces give you a wide pool but leave screening and payroll to you; an agency screens candidates before you meet them and supports the placement afterward.
Contact Southwest Domestics
Southwest Domestics
13847 Stafford Rd, Stafford, TX 77477
(713) 789-5437
Mon–Fri 9–5
southwestdomestics@gmail.com
Start a new client request or call to schedule a complimentary interview.