Finding the right person to care for your children can take time and effort. When hiring a nanny, discuss how driving your children fits into the rest of the nanny’s tasks. You will want to consider how you will include driving responsibilities in your nanny’s job description. Letting your kids in the car with anyone besides you and your partner can be nerve racking. Finding a nanny you can trust with your children’s lives is of utmost importance.
Including Driving Responsibilities in your Nanny’s Job Description
Driving kids to school or appointments is generally part of a nanny’s job requirements, though that varies from family to family. As you write your nanny’s job description, include the potential need for driving and estimate how much time someone would spend in the car with your kids.
When interviewing candidates, be upfront about your driving needs and the requirements you expect the nanny to have (i.e., a reliable vehicle, certain types of insurance policies, frequent maintenance, etc.).
Shopping for auto insurance with kids?
One of the first things you need to decide is if your nanny will drive a car you provide or if you’re comfortable having your kids ride in their vehicle.
Pros and Cons to Them Driving your Car
Pros:
- You can control the type of car and keep the vehicle maintained according to your safety standards.
- Car seats can be installed once and not moved repeatedly.
- You can set boundaries about when and how the nanny can drive the car.
Cons:
- Parents are responsible for the cost to purchase, register, insure, and maintain a second or third vehicle.
- You’ll need a place to park or store the vehicle when not in use.
- Adding a nanny to your insurance can get complicated. Depending on the nanny’s age and driving history, you may see an increase in your premium.
- If you decide not to add your nanny to the insurance policy, you risk having any claim for an accident denied if that person was driving your vehicle.
Pros and Cons of Them Driving their Car
Pros:
- You won’t have the cost to purchase and maintain another vehicle.
- Your car insurance policies and premiums won’t increase, and you don’t have to worry about non-payment of a claim due to an unauthorized driver.
Cons:
- You don’t have control over how old the nanny’s car is or any safety concerns. According to a recent FinanceBuzz Car Maintenance survey, 69% of drivers say they avoid getting maintenance done, even if they know it’s due.
- Consider adding a clause in your nanny employment contract that their vehicle must pass all required safety checks and provide proof of maintenance when requested.
- You’ll have to pay the nanny’s gas and mileage, the app Everlance can assist with tracking mileage.
- If your child uses a car seat, it may need to be uninstalled and reinstalled in the nanny’s car daily, increasing the potential for problems.
- You must confirm that the nanny has adequate insurance coverage in case your kids are injured in their car.
- You may need to cover some or all of the costs of any additional insurance policies you require the nanny to carry.
Adequate insurance coverage for letting nannies drive your car
No matter which vehicle you decide to use, it’s vital to ensure you and your nanny have the right insurance coverage.
You’ll need at least enough coverage to meet your state’s minimum requirements. Experts generally recommend carrying out additional policies and limits since the cost of an accident can quickly exceed the limits required by your state.
States generally require bodily and property liability insurance, which covers the injuries or damages to another party when you (or your nanny) are at fault in an accident. Some states also require personal injury protection (PIP), medical payments (MedPay), and uninsured/underinsured motorist protection (UM/UIM) coverages.
Depending on the car’s age, maintaining collision and comprehensive policies to cover any accident repairs is wise. These policies cover the damages caused by an accident or circumstances like a fire, hail, or hitting an animal with the vehicle.
To help protect you from lawsuits after an accident, consider adding personal umbrella liability to help cover claims that exceed your regular liability coverage.
Work with your insurance agent to assess your coverage needs. If your children are in the nanny’s car, ask your agent about the coverage you should have the nanny maintain on their car.
To learn more, check out FinanceBuzz’s Complete Parent’s Guide to Letting Caregivers Drive Your Car.
Bottom line
Letting a nanny drive your children can be a big step. Be sure to request a background check and driving record of any candidate you are considering, and if they will be driving your car, work with your insurance agent to get the best coverage for you and your family. An established nanny agency, such as Boston Baby Nurse & Nanny, will provide background checks including driving records.
While it can be hard to watch your kids get into a car you aren’t driving, do your research, ask questions, and then trust that you made the right decision.
