Nanny Contract Template: Complete Work Agreement Guide 2026

You've found the perfect nanny. The interviews went well, references checked out, and everyone's excited to start. But before the first day, you need a written agreement that protects everyone and sets clear expectations.

A nanny contract isn't about distrust—it's about clarity. When expectations are written down, misunderstandings are prevented, and both parties have a reference point if questions arise.

This guide explains everything your nanny contract should cover and provides template language you can customize for your situation.

Nanny with family

Why You Need a Written Contract

Benefits for the Family

Clarity and protection:

Clear expectations documented
Legal protection if issues arise
Reference for resolving disputes
Professional relationship framework

Practical benefits:

Answers questions before they're asked
Reduces awkward conversations
Establishes you as a professional employer
Creates accountability

Benefits for the Nanny

Job security and clarity:

Understands expectations completely
Written record of compensation and benefits
Protection against unfair changes
Professional treatment

Practical benefits:

Can reference agreement if needed
Clear termination protections
Documentation for loans, housing, etc.
Shows family takes employment seriously

Essential Contract Elements

1. Basic Information

Include:

Family name(s) and contact information
Nanny's legal name and contact information
Children's names and ages
Start date of employment
Location(s) where work will occur

Template language:

NANNY WORK AGREEMENT

This agreement is between:

Employer(s): [Full names]
Address: [Home address]
Phone: [Contact numbers]
Email: [Email addresses]

Employee (Nanny): [Full legal name]
Address: [Home address]
Phone: [Contact number]
Email: [Email address]

This agreement begins on [start date] and covers care for:
- [Child name, age]
- [Child name, age]

Primary work location: [Address]

2. Compensation

Elements to include:

Gross hourly or weekly rate
Pay schedule (weekly, biweekly)
Overtime rate (required by law if applicable)
Payment method
Guaranteed hours (if applicable)

Template language:

COMPENSATION

Gross Hourly Rate: $[amount]/hour
Weekly Guaranteed Hours: [number] hours

Overtime: Hours worked beyond 40 per week will be paid at
1.5 times the regular rate ($[overtime rate]/hour).

Payment Schedule: Employee will be paid every [Friday/other day]
for the previous week's work.

Payment Method: [Direct deposit/Check]

If fewer hours than guaranteed are worked due to employer's
schedule, employee will still receive guaranteed weekly amount
of $[amount].

Important notes:

State whether the rate is gross (before taxes) or net
Gross is strongly recommended for clarity and legality
Include guaranteed hours if offering them

3. Work Schedule

Include:

Regular weekly schedule
Expected flexibility
Schedule change notification
On-call expectations (if any)

Template language:

WORK SCHEDULE

Regular Schedule:
Monday: [start time] - [end time]
Tuesday: [start time] - [end time]
Wednesday: [start time] - [end time]
Thursday: [start time] - [end time]
Friday: [start time] - [end time]

Total weekly hours: [number]

Schedule Changes: Employer will provide at least [24-48] hours
notice for schedule changes when possible. Employee will make
reasonable efforts to accommodate requests with less notice.

Early Release: If children are at other activities and
employee is released early, full scheduled hours will still
be paid.

Additional Hours: Additional hours beyond the regular schedule
may be requested. These will be compensated at the regular
hourly rate (or overtime rate if over 40 hours/week).

4. Job Duties

Cover:

Primary childcare responsibilities
Child-related household tasks
Non-child-related tasks (if any)
What's explicitly NOT expected

Template language:

JOB DUTIES

Primary Responsibilities:
- Supervising and caring for children during work hours
- Preparing meals and snacks for children
- Engaging children in developmentally appropriate activities
- Transporting children to activities and appointments
- Light housekeeping related to children (dishes, laundry, tidying)
- Maintaining children's schedules and routines
- Communication with parents about children's day

Child-Related Household Tasks:
- Children's laundry
- Cleaning up after children's meals and activities
- Maintaining children's rooms and play areas
- Organizing children's clothing and belongings

Tasks NOT Expected:
- General housekeeping beyond child-related
- Family laundry (adults)
- Pet care
- Errands unrelated to children

[Adjust based on your arrangement—if you want household
management included, specify it clearly]

Nanny contract signing

5. Benefits

Common benefits to address:

Paid time off (vacation)
Paid holidays
Sick days
Health insurance contribution
Mileage reimbursement
Professional development

Template language:

BENEFITS

Paid Vacation:
- [Number] weeks of paid vacation per year
- Vacation must be scheduled at least [2-4] weeks in advance
- Vacation accrues at [rate] per month
- Up to [number] unused days may carry over to following year
- Unused vacation will be paid out upon termination

Paid Holidays:
The following holidays are paid days off:
- New Year's Day
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- Christmas Day
- [Add/remove as appropriate]

If employee is required to work on a holiday, compensation
will be at 1.5 times the regular rate.

Sick Days:
- [Number] paid sick days per year
- May be used for employee illness or for children's illness
- Unused sick days do not carry over or pay out

Mileage Reimbursement:
- Employee will be reimbursed at the IRS standard rate
  (currently $0.67/mile) for use of personal vehicle for
  work duties
- Mileage should be tracked and submitted weekly

Health Insurance:
- Employer will contribute $[amount]/month toward employee's
  health insurance
- OR: This position does not include health insurance benefits

Professional Development:
- Employer will pay for [CPR/First Aid certification renewal]
- [Number] days per year for professional development

6. Taxes and Legal Employment

Address:

Tax withholding
Worker classification (employee, not contractor)
Required documentation

Template language:

TAXES AND EMPLOYMENT STATUS

Employment Status: Employee is classified as a household
employee (W-2), not an independent contractor.

Tax Withholding: Employer will withhold the following from
each paycheck:
- Social Security tax (employee share)
- Medicare tax (employee share)
- Federal income tax (based on W-4)
- State income tax (if applicable)

Employer will pay employer share of Social Security and
Medicare taxes.

At year end, employee will receive a W-2 form for tax filing.

Required Documentation: Employee will complete W-4 and I-9
forms, and provide documents required for I-9 verification.

7. Confidentiality and Privacy

Cover:

Privacy of family information
Social media policies
Photo/video policies
Confidentiality after employment

Template language:

CONFIDENTIALITY

Employee agrees to:
- Keep all family information confidential
- Not share children's images on personal social media without
  written permission
- Not discuss family's personal matters with others
- Maintain confidentiality after employment ends

Photography Policy:
- Photos of children may be taken for sharing with parents
- Photos may not be posted publicly without permission
- All photos belong to the family

This confidentiality obligation continues after employment ends.

8. Transportation and Vehicle Use

Address:

Whether nanny uses family car or personal vehicle
Insurance requirements
Mileage reimbursement
Safety requirements

Template language:

TRANSPORTATION

[Option A: Family Vehicle]
A family vehicle will be available for work-related
transportation. Employee must have a valid driver's license
and clean driving record. Employee will notify employer
immediately of any changes to driving status.

[Option B: Personal Vehicle]
Employee will use their own vehicle for work-related
transportation. Employee must maintain valid driver's license,
registration, and insurance with minimum coverage of
[amount]. Mileage will be reimbursed at $[rate]/mile.

Child Safety Requirements:
- Car seats must be properly installed and used
- Children must ride in back seat
- Distracted driving (phone use) is prohibited while children
  are in vehicle

9. Termination

Cover:

Notice period
Grounds for immediate termination
Severance (if offered)
Final pay

Template language:

TERMINATION

Notice Period:
Either party may end this agreement with [2] weeks written
notice. Upon receiving or giving notice, employer may choose
to provide pay in lieu of worked notice period.

Immediate Termination:
Employer may terminate immediately without notice for:
- Neglect or abuse of children
- Theft or dishonesty
- Intoxication or drug use during work
- Gross misconduct
- Violation of confidentiality

Severance:
If terminated without cause and with less than [2] weeks
notice, employee will receive [2] weeks severance pay.

Final Pay:
Final paycheck, including any accrued vacation, will be
provided on the next regular payday (or as required by state
law if sooner).

Return of Property:
Upon termination, employee will return all family property,
including keys, equipment, and any confidential information.

10. Other Important Clauses

Trial period:

TRIAL PERIOD

The first [30-90] days of employment are a trial period.
During this time, either party may end the agreement with
[3-7] days notice. After the trial period, the standard
notice period applies.

Performance reviews:

PERFORMANCE REVIEWS

Employer and employee will meet for a formal review after
[90 days] and then [annually/semi-annually]. Reviews will
include discussion of job performance, any concerns, and
potential compensation adjustments.

Raising compensation:

COMPENSATION REVIEW

Compensation will be reviewed [annually] in [month]. Raises
are not guaranteed but will be considered based on performance,
cost of living, and family budget.

Dispute resolution:

DISPUTE RESOLUTION

If any disputes arise regarding this agreement, both parties
agree to attempt to resolve them through discussion. If
unresolved, [mediation/other process] may be pursued.

Complete Contract Template

Below is a complete template you can customize. Delete or modify sections as needed for your situation.

NANNY WORK AGREEMENT

This agreement is entered into between:

EMPLOYER(S):
Name(s): _________________________________
Address: _________________________________
Phone: __________________________________
Email: __________________________________

EMPLOYEE (NANNY):
Name: __________________________________
Address: _________________________________
Phone: __________________________________
Email: __________________________________

EFFECTIVE DATE: _________________________

CHILDREN IN CARE:
Name: _________________ Age: _____
Name: _________________ Age: _____

1. COMPENSATION
Gross Hourly Rate: $________/hour
Weekly Guaranteed Hours: _______ hours
Overtime Rate: $________/hour (for hours over 40/week)
Payment Schedule: Every ____________
Payment Method: ________________

2. WORK SCHEDULE
[Insert weekly schedule]
Total weekly hours: _______

3. JOB DUTIES
[Insert primary duties and household tasks]

4. BENEFITS
Paid Vacation: _____ weeks/year
Paid Holidays: [List holidays]
Sick Days: _____ days/year
Mileage: $______/mile (IRS rate)
Health Insurance Contribution: $_______/month

5. TAXES
Employee is a household employee (W-2). Employer will
withhold and pay applicable taxes.

6. TRIAL PERIOD
First _____ days are a trial period with _____ days notice
to terminate.

7. TERMINATION
Notice Period: _____ weeks
Severance: _____ weeks pay if terminated without cause and
without notice

8. CONFIDENTIALITY
Employee agrees to maintain family confidentiality during
and after employment.

9. TRANSPORTATION
[Insert vehicle policy]

10. ADDITIONAL TERMS
[Insert any other agreed-upon terms]

SIGNATURES:

Employer: ___________________________ Date: ________

Employer: ___________________________ Date: ________

Employee: ___________________________ Date: ________

Key Takeaways

Include all the essentials:

Compensation and schedule
Job duties (specifically)
Benefits and time off
Taxes and legal status
Termination procedures

Be specific:

Vague agreements lead to disputes
Write down what you've discussed
Don't assume shared understanding

Make it fair:

Protect the nanny as well as yourself
Offer reasonable benefits
Include termination protections
Pay legally and on the books

Review and update:

Review annually
Update when circumstances change
Both parties should have copies
Keep it accessible

A good nanny contract isn't a sign of distrust—it's a sign of professionalism. When both parties know what's expected, the working relationship is stronger, and everyone can focus on what matters most: providing great care for your children.

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