What it costs
$3,850 total.
Two payments. Nothing else, at any point.
| Stage | When | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Application | After the inquiry call, before the needs consultation | $350 |
| Placement | When you and your nanny sign | $3,500 |
| Total | $3,850 |
What that buys
- A needs consultation of an hour to an hour and a half
- Sourcing, application review, and first-round interviews
- Reference calls made directly, not emailed forms
- Employment history, driving record, car insurance, and education verified on every shortlisted candidate
- Three vetted candidates presented together
- A criminal background check on your finalist through an accredited provider
- An attorney-drafted work agreement template
- A 90-day replacement guarantee, if the nanny resigns or is dismissed for cause
- Someone reachable through the first three months
What it does not buy
We would rather be clear about this than have it come up later.
- The nanny's wages. You pay your nanny directly, at a rate the two of you agree on. Our fee is separate and goes only to us
- Payroll and tax filing. That is yours as the household employer, and there are services that make it straightforward
- A completed contract. We provide the template. You and your nanny fill in your own terms
- A guarantee about any person's future conduct. No one can honestly promise that. What we can promise is that the vetting was done properly, and that if the nanny resigns or is dismissed for cause inside ninety days, we search again at no additional placement fee
The honest version
Why not cheaper
A search takes fifteen to thirty hours of real work across four to eight weeks. Agencies nationally charge ten to twenty percent of a nanny's first-year salary. $3,850 sits at the lower end of that range for this part of Indiana.
We are not the cheapest way to find someone. A job board is free. The difference is what has already been checked before you meet anyone.
Questions
How long does a search take?
Four to eight weeks from the needs consultation to a first day. Some are faster. We would rather be honest than optimistic.
What if none of the three are right?
It happens, and it is usually a sign the role needs redefining rather than a sign the search failed. We talk it through and go back out.
There is no extra charge for going back out, and no deadline by which a search has to end. The $350 application fee is not refundable, because the assessment and the opening search are done either way, and the $3,500 is due only when you hire someone we present.
What counts as full-time?
Thirty or more hours per week, live-out.
Do you place part-time?
Not at launch. We place full-time nannies only, thirty hours a week and up. If you're looking for part-time care, we're glad to point you toward better options on the call.
What exactly does the 90-day guarantee cover?
If the nanny resigns or is dismissed for cause within 90 days of the start date, we run a replacement search at no additional placement fee. That is a one-time replacement; once it is used, the guarantee is spent.
It does not cover a change in your needs after hiring, terms you agreed to that were later changed, or a search where the placement fee was not paid.
The case worth saying plainly: if the placement just is not the right fit, with no resignation and no dismissal for cause, the guarantee is not triggered. We would rather you know that before you hire than discover it in week six.
Do you place live-in nannies, au pairs, or babysitters?
No. Full-time live-out placements only.
Kate spent seven years placing au pairs before starting Briar & Root, so she knows that world well. It runs on a J-1 cultural exchange visa through a small number of sponsor agencies designated by the U.S. State Department, with its own rules, its own vetting, and a twelve-month term. Briar & Root is not a designated sponsor and does not place au pairs. If that is what you are looking for, ask on the call and she will point you somewhere good.
Can I meet candidates before paying the placement fee?
Yes. You interview all three finalists before anything beyond the $350 is due.
What areas do you serve?
We are based in Warsaw, Indiana, and we place across Northern and Central Indiana. That includes Fort Wayne and Allen County, South Bend, Granger and Elkhart County, Indianapolis and Hamilton County, and the lake and county communities in between.
If you are near the edge of that and not sure, ask on the call. The honest answer depends on whether we can find the right candidates near you, and we will tell you either way.
What if I already have someone in mind?
Then you may not need us, and we will say so. If you want help vetting a specific person rather than running a search, ask on the call.