Taylor
Full-time, Chicago
Childcare Experience 5+ years. Taylor has experience caring for children infants through school-age.
Education Kansas State University, BS, Psychological Sciences (2019) Taylor has also done coursework towards a Masters in Education at Fort Hays State University.
Special Experience or Training Taylor has experience working with children who have a wide variety of special needs. During her time with the Ansari/Eddington family, she cared full-time for their infant twins.
References "She is a natural. She just organically steps right in and takes care of the kiddos and their needs...Our family loves Taylor. She is an incredible human! We would have her take care of our kiddos in a heartbeat!"
After having been a full-time nanny with a wonderful family and a classroom teacher, Taylor has found "the classroom is just not the same to me" and she misses nannying. She is moving back to Chicago from Kansas and would like to find a family where she will be needed full-time for at least a few years. Taylor is going to do best with a family who is happy to have their kids, regardless of age, busy with activities and outings. She is happy to help manage a household. She says: "I am organized and am able to create a schedule that gets everything completed to the expected standard and works for everyone in the household. I like to be busy, so having multiple task keeps me energized." Taylor can help run a family calendar and assist with homework and has age-appropriate ideas for how to make a great day for any kid.
Vanessa
Full-time, Chicago or northern suburbs
Childcare Experience 10 years. Vanessa has experience with children from preschool through teens.
Education Monmouth College, BA, Psychology (2020)
Special Experience or Training Vanessa's minor at Monmouth College was Child Development.
References "Miss Vanessa is a loving and caring person. She shows respect and kindness with every child I've ever seen her interact with. She goes above and beyond to make sure the children are happy. She's gentle and has the ability to make every child feel special about who they are."
Vanessa is moving back to Chicago after two years in Pittsburgh. During her time there she initially did part-time on-call nannying around the hours for her full-time job, but for the last year has put together a full-time schedule with several on-call families. Her current job search is for one family she can support where she will be needed for at least 2-3 years. Vanessa has really strong experience with preschoolers and school-age children and would love to join a household where she can not only provide childcare but assist with house management during hours children are away from home. It's important to Vanessa that she be with a family where both parents and children are open to creating a meaningful connection with her. Vanessa would like to find a family where "we can rely on each other" and she'll become an important part of their family life.
Olivia
Full-time, Chicago or North Shore suburbs
Childcare Experience 7 years. Olivia has experience caring for children aged 6 months through 12 years.
Education Olivia graduated from Evanston Township High School in 2017.
Special Experience or Training Olivia moved to Boston with the Luby family for mom's work and was a live-in nanny for them there.
References "Olivia is wonderful with children. She is entirely present and focused on the kids. She is never on her phone. She lets the children lead their own play and make their own discoveries and she's there to support the kids and keep the fun going safely/happily."
Olivia's job of the last four years just ended when the youngest was admitted to a preschool program. She hopes to find a new family in the near north suburbs or on the north side where she will be need for a similar long-term engagement. Olivia would love to find a new family with young children where there is a positive atmosphere in the home and the parents practice clear communication. She says: "I'm dependable, enthusiastic and always trying my best to lead with love. I'm good at jumping in wherever is needed, I've made some of the best memories of my life working as a nanny, and I'm looking forward to making more."
Jordan
Full-time, Northern suburbs
Childcare Experience 7+ years. Jordan has experience with children infant through school-age.
Education Michigan State University, BS, Elementary Education. Jordan has completed some coursework towards a Masters in Education.
Special Experience or Training Jordan has taught and cared for children with a wide variety of needs over the years. She joined her most recent nanny family to be an extra set of hands when newborn twins joined their two year old.
References "She is both a great caretaker of children and a great partner for parents. She's flexible, takes initiative, and communicates proactively. She pays individual attention but also shows ability to juggle multiple (needy) kids at once....She takes her job seriously and yet is fun, loving, and incredibly relationship-oriented. It's hard to imagine a better nanny!"
After 7 years at CPS, Jordan is ready for a change. Even though she has worked full-time as a teacher, she has ample experience caring for children in their own homes as she has always nannied on evenings, weekends and during the summer. Jordan loves to research ideas for learning activities that will spark a child's interest. She hopes to work with parents who are "kind-hearted and genuine, who will value what I bring to the table and make me a part of their family."
Stacey
Full-time, Northern Suburbs
Childcare Experience 20+ years. Stacey has experience with children infant through school-age.
Education Stacey graduated from Maine East High School in 1981.
Special Experience or Training Stacey has experience with multiples and children with special needs.
References "She's very intuitive when it comes to kids. She can sense what they need or when they're upset. She makes each kid feel special. She interacts with them very well....She goes above and beyond without asking her to do something."
Stacey is looking for a new family where everyone, over time, will feel like family. She describes herself as "a big kid at heart" and loves to do fun, age-appropriate things with kids. Stacey is an empty-nester and very flexible with her time. She's able to be available on short notice and can do overnights if necessary. She's got an upbeat attitude and sees the humor in things. Stacey loves to help a family manage their home - she's a hard worker and enjoys a variety of things she's responsible for. She enjoys a challenge and finding a way to be successful with any type of kid or issue they may be dealing with and is able to stay calm in an emergency or stressful situation. Stacey has strong organizational skills and can manage a busy family's calendar. She says "I'm happy to do whatever is asked and whatever I can do to support parents."
Lizzie
Full-time, north or northwestern suburbs
Childcare Experience 7 years. Lizzie has experience caring for children from infants through teens.
Education Capella University, BS, Psychology (2022) Harper College, AA (2020) Lizzie has done course work in Child Development and Child Psychology as part of earning her degree.
Special Experience or Training Lizzie has been involved in gymnastics since she was 6 years old herself and started teaching gymnastics and cheer towards the end of her high school career.
References "She adores kids and is so good with them. She is so creative and fun... She is very patient and really takes the time to listen to the kids. Not everyone has that gift."
Lizzie has worked with children for many years, primarily in group or classroom settings, as a teacher. She has learned about nannying through a close friend who is a nanny and through families at the daycare where she currently works. She has realized that she would like to move on towards working with children in a one-on-one in-home setting as she continues her childcare/education career. Lizzie says "it would be nice to slow down and be able to tailor things to children's particular interests." Her approach is to start out by getting to know kids and then use that as a jumping off point for planning age appropriate activities and projects. Lizzie is very open to assisting a family in managing their home. She describes herself as a person who is "very organized and likes to finish tasks assigned to me effectively and efficiently." Lizzie will appreciate understanding what's important to a family and being able to take things from there so that they can rely on her support. She would especially enjoy working with a family who is interested or involved in the Montessori approach. She attended Montessori school herself and has studied the method during college.
Ashley
Full-time, Suburbs
Childcare Experience 15+ years. Ashley has cared for children infants through teens including many with special medical needs.
Education Ashley obtained her CNA certificate from the College of DuPage. She is continuing her education on a very part-time basis pursuing a degree as an RN.
Special Experience or Training Ashley worked for 10 years in the Pediatric ICU. She has helped support hundreds of families through challenging times. In her spare time Ashley is an active volunteer with her church and enjoys studying the Montessori method because she likes the idea of helping kids learn independence.
References "She's nurturing, she cares about the whole child, she knows each childs individual strength and uses that knowledge to best help them learn and grow....Ashley managed our whole house. Not only was she in charge of complete child care. She managed laundry and cooking. She would run errands, the kids to activities, she would grocery shop. Our home functioned because of her."
Ashley current position is coming to an end because mom is having a second baby and will be staying home. Ashley is looking for a new family to join where she will hopefully be needed long-term She is very flexible with hours and happy to help with house management. Ashley says that she "adores spending time with children" and loves to be a part of their healthy growth and development. She is an organized, tidy person who pays attention to details and very much wants to come alongside working parents where she be a part of the team. She says "I know there's a lot working parents have to deal with and I try and make it be successful for them. I'm joining the band!"
Bea
Full-time, Chicago and suburbs
Childcare Experience 8+ years. Bea has caregiving experience with infants through adults.
Education Seattle Pacific University, BA, Social Justice and Cultural Studies (2021) Child Development Classes are part of Bea's college experience.
Special Experience or Training Bea interned with a refugee organization in Budapest, Hungary where she provided childcare while parents attended classes. She worked with middle schoolers during an internship in Honduras working on a project to paint murals around the community.
References "She's kind and intuitive with kids, while also being a clear communicator and guiding kids to solve problems productively."
Bea joined North Shore Nannies when she moved to Chicago in January 2022. She started out as a temp but was quickly placed in her current position. We were thrilled when her childhood friend and roommate, who is one of our wonderful nannies, referred her to us. Bea's childcare career began when she passed the Red Cross babysitting course as a 12 year old. She has cared for children of all ages in all kinds of settings since that time. She was volunteer at her church nursery as soon as she was old enough, a nanny and babysitter for many families, a lifeguard and swim teacher, has worked with multiples and adults with special needs, worked with children overseas in group settings and helped a family through remote learning during Covid. It's clear that Bea is able to provide a very high level of engagement with her charges. She enjoys cooking and maintaining an orderly, clean work environment and is happy to assist a family in managing their household. Most importantly, Bea is seeking a collaborative relationship with parents and a sense of community within a family.
Rhi
Full-time, Chicago or western suburbs
Childcare Experience 5+ years. Rhi has worked with children newborn through school-age.
Education University of Phoenix, BS, Early Childhood Education (2023)
Special Experience or Training From when she started first babysitting at around 14, Rhi has grown her experience relative to children. She was a church nursery volunteer during high school, has babysat and nannies many families and completed 100 observation hours and a 12 week student teaching internship to earn of her bachelors degree.
References "She was calm, understanding and patient as my children grew. She also was a playmate at times, a teacher and a friend to them. Their relationship is strong to this day given the love and support she showed them...Rhi was a huge part of my children's growth and we were lucky to have her with us during those times. She will make a great nanny to any family."
Rhi has recently completed her bachelors degree and tells us that throughout her experience in the classroom student teaching she was questioning whether she wanted to work with children in a classroom setting. She "adores" nannying and has decided to continue her work with children with a new nanny family. She would love to find a family where she will be needed for the next few years at least who will appreciate the combination of in-home caregiving and educational training she can bring. She would love to "work with a family that views me as a part of their team and understands that I'm there as a professional to care for their children. Rhi describes herself as an "avid planner" and an "organized, on-task person" who likes to work off a to-do list of priorities. She uses these qualities and her communication skills to ensure that things are being done "in a fashion that suits each individual families needs." She has helped with household management in the past and is open to those responsibilities in a new family. Rhi can be flexible to accommodate a family's schedule, including travel or overnights.
Sara
Full-time, Chicago or northern suburbs
Childcare Experience 9 + years. Sara has experience with children infant through teens.
Education Shepherd University, BS, Political Science (2013)
Special Experience or Training Sara has done coursework in Child Development and Child Psychology. She has had training in conflict resolution and mediation. Extensive experience working with youth in an alternative school/residential setting.
References "She was magical! My kids are now 25 and 29 and still have a strong relationship with her. She is intelligent and creative which was such a wonderful mix to bring to our family."
Sara is originally from Galena and after leaving her job at Carolina Trails has returned to Chicago to be closer to friends and family. She is excited to return to nannying - which was her first "real job" after high school - when she moved to New Jersey to take a live-in position. Sara is looking for a family where she can bring all the skills she has accumulated working with children over the years as well as the organizational skills she has developed in her work in the not-for-profit world. She is really happy to help support a nanny family as a whole, managing their household, taking initiative in terms of keeping things running smoothly and becoming a part of the family dynamic.
Martyna
Full-time, Chicago or suburbs
Childcare Experience 10+ years. Martyna has experience with children infant through teenage.
Education Martyna attended college at the Jane Addams School, Technical College for Social Pedagogy in Berlin. She was state-certified as an Educator in Germany and received her degree in 2016.
Special Experience or Training In addition to her education training, Martyna is fluent in German, Polish and English. She has worked with children who have a variety of special needs.
References "We feel very fortunate to have Martyna in our lives. We feel confident that if you choose to welcome her into your child’s life, you will feel the same."
Martyna is an experienced nanny/house manager. She joined the Fish/Singer family as an Au Pair in 2017 and stayed with them for the next five years caring for their three children and managing their home. (They sponsored her so that she was able to obtain her green card.) In addition to her nanny experience, Martyna has worked with children in a wide variety of internships and practicum from 2011-2016 in day care and child welfare settings and she has provided letters verifying these experiences. In all of her jobs, Martyna has been called upon to use her strong organizational skills and her teacher training. Martyna recognizes that the nanny-family relationship is built on trust and communication. She wants to understand and mirror parents' approach. With children, she takes time to gain their trust by understanding them as individuals. Martyna wants to give kids freedom to make choices while always keeping safety first as well as helping them learn to do things for themselves and become self-reliant.
Rachel
Full-time, Chicago or suburbs
Childcare Experience 15 years. Rachel has experience with children infant through school-age.
Education Loyola University, BS, Psychology and Human Services (2008) Roosevelt University, MA, Clinical Psychology (2011)
Special Experience or Training Rachel has done extensive work with children in a variety of therapeutic settings as part of her graduate studies.
References "Rachel is a true gem" "Rachel has a natural gift for interacting with kids. You can tell in just a few seconds when she interacts with kids that she is genuine and really caring towards children. The great thing about her is that children responds very well with her. She is patient, funny, and very loving."
Rachel left behind her graduate studies in clinical psychology to pursue a career as a professional nanny. Her first love is providing direct care to children and helping support parents. Her current family is not going to continue to need her full-time and she hopes to find a new family she can be with on a long-term basis. Rachel is open to all household management duties, is happy to work longer days/flexible hours and would love to travel with a family. She looks forward to collaborating with parents to bring up healthy, happy children.