Hiring a private nanny for a HNW or UHNW household isn’t the same as hiring through an app or a friend’s referral.
You need someone who’s worked in homes like yours, can run a full day on their own, knows how to fit in alongside other staff, and is comfortable signing an NDA before they meet your children.
Morgan & Mallet was founded in 2015 by Laurine Mallet, a former private nanny who worked for HNW families, and Morgan Richez, a former butler and chauffeur for UHNW households.
We built the nanny placement agency around what we wished we’d had when we were the ones doing the jobs – a recruiter who actually understood the role.
We have over 9,300 vetted, experienced, and proven nanny candidates and offices in New York, Los Angeles, and Miami.
We staff nationwide. For most US searches, we’ll have three to five candidates ready to meet you within two to three weeks, with paid trial days arranged before you commit.
Every placement has a 90-day replacement guarantee and we have a 96% success rate for roles we staff.
Contact us today to hire a nanny.
Do You Need a Nanny, a Governess, or a Maternity Nurse?
It depends on the age of your children and what you actually need them to do every day.
About one in five clients who call us for our nanny recruitment services end up needing to hire a governess or maternity nurse instead. We go through all that on the first call.
Full daily care for children, usually from early years to around 12.
Routine, meals, school runs, activities, homework, bath, bed.
Most of our US placements are full-time, with about 60% live-out and 40% live-in.
A teacher and carer for school-age children, normally 6 to 16.
Tutoring, supervised study, language teaching, etiquette, prep for top schools.
Governesses make up 3.71% of childcare specialists in our database.
Newborn specialist for the first 8 to 12 weeks after birth.
Sleep training, feeding routines, helping the mother recover, and twin care if needed.
Live-in, around the clock.
If you’ve got an older child plus a newborn, you’ll usually need to hire for two roles.
Morgan Richez our co-founder on why we ask for full briefs upfront:
“When you say everything to the candidate at the beginning, the good things and the bad things, you can make sure that when she gets the job, she’s going to stay for a long time. She knew everything. She can’t say, ‘I didn’t know about this.'”
How Does the Nanny Hiring Process Work?
It takes three to six weeks for most placements, from first call to first day. Searches for newborn specialists, traveling nannies with unusual languages, or special needs roles can take eight to twelve weeks.
When you call, a recruiter spends around an hour on the phone. We ask about your children’s ages, personalities, schools, dietary needs and many other things so we can get a clear picture of what you actually want from a nanny.
We will probably ask the awkward questions too.
We once placed a nanny with a family who hadn’t told us their child was autistic, worried it would scare candidates off.
The nanny realized straight away. We replaced her quickly with someone who had specialist experience, and that family is still with us, but it’s important to tell us as much as you can about the role.
How we find your shortlist
We then search our database of 9,300+ vetted nanny candidates, which is drawn from a wider pool of 200,000+ registered profiles across all roles.
We built our own applicant tracking system in 2020 so we could filter our database to find the right candidate for the role.
We filter by things like by live-in availability, ability to travel, language combinations, special needs experience, pet allergies, and visa eligibility.
All of our offices use the same system too, so if you’re looking to recruit from another part of the country or our overseas offices, it makes it very easy.
Candidate vetting
When you hire a nanny with Morgan & Mallet every candidate we present to you has been through a 90-minute structured interview with one of our recruiters, criminal background screening and verified employment history.
You see three candidates, sometimes one if we think we’ve found the perfect match.
We also organize paid trial days so you can see how each one works in your home, with your kids.
What Does a Private Nanny Actually Do in a UHNW Household?
In HNW and UHNW households, a private nanny does much more than watch the children.
They works with tutors, drivers, housekeepers, and chefs. They run playdates and after-school activities, packs the kids for travel, keeps their wardrobe and rooms in order, and keeps an eye on their development.
If you’ve got other staff in the home, your nanny needs to know how to work with them.
Laurine Mallet, who worked for years as a private nanny before founding the agency: “When I was a nanny, I’d say to the housekeeper, ‘The little one had an accident in her bed, would you mind changing it for me while I take her to painting class?’
And the next day, ‘Don’t clean the kitchen, I’m going to cook for the little ones, I’ll clean up myself afterwards.’
You need to think cooperatively, otherwise you’re going to have a lot of conflicts.”
For UHNW placements, discretion is part of the job. Laurine on her own approach to gossip as a nanny:
“Every time, I said, ‘It’s not my business. I don’t want to know anything about it.’ Because obviously my boss would like me to answer this way. I completely don’t care about my boss’s life. It won’t change mine.”
For a full breakdown of a typical nanny role see our private nanny job description.
How Do You Know You're Hiring the Right Nanny?
Laurine Mallet on the most common agency mistake:
“An agency can make the big mistake of not checking all the references, or just checking once and saying it’s fine, while maybe the two previous ones are really bad.”
We do reference checks differently. Three reference calls minimum with previous employers, by phone, not email. For candidates with one long placement, we go further back and check non-childcare references.
We test discretion a lot in interviews. Laurine says she is always trying to test how discrete someone really is with her interview questions. She asks something too personal, then sees what the response is.
Laurine on what we listen for:
“I want to know their life from the beginning. I ask, ‘Can you explain your education? What kind of hobbies do you have? What was your first job, even if it’s not in household staff?’ The whole journey tells you a lot about the person.”
How Much Does a Private Nanny Cost in the US?
Private nanny salaries in the US start around $90,000 a year for a standard full-time live-out role and can go up to $180,000 for senior, multilingual, traveling nanny, according to Morgan & Mallet’s 2025/26 Household Staff Salaries Annual Report.
Top-end traveling nannies in the UAE earn $163,200, and the global ceiling for a nanny role sits at $144,024 in Switzerland, where childcare salaries dominate.
Governesses go higher, up to $156,026. Maternity nurses reach $186,031.
Languages push the salary up the most.
Morgan Richez on French-speaking nannies: “In the US, if you would like a French nanny with a very good background, you can get a lot of money.”
NDAs and confidentiality requirements add 15 to 20% to base pay across all roles. Travel-ready nannies earn another premium on top. Morgan Richez on the traveling nanny boom: “Rich families live in different locations now. Dubai in winter, US or UK in summer. They don’t want to employ many people everywhere. They prefer to travel with the staff.”
Live-in roles offer a lower base but include accommodation, meals, and utilities, often worth $25,000 to $45,000 a year on top.
On the employer side, US private nannies are W-2 employees, which means FICA and FUTA payroll taxes, workers’ comp, and health insurance.
Misclassifying a nanny as a 1099 contractor is the most common mistake we see from families who tried to hire privately.
What About the Legal Side?
Federally, private nannies are W-2 employees, which means FICA, FUTA, and a Schedule H at year end.
The state regulations vary a lot. New York’s Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights covers overtime, days off, and notice periods.
California’s AB 241 covers meal breaks, daily rest, and overtime after 9 hours. Illinois passed its own Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights in 2017.
We connect you with employment lawyers in every state where you’re hiring. We also deal with international payroll if your nanny travels with you to homes in London, Paris, Geneva, or Dubai.
Most local agencies can’t run domestic payroll across multiple countries. We can because we are an international agency.
What Happens If Something Goes Wrong?
We see how it’s all going after 10 days, then again throughout the first three months. We find that most placements that don’t seem to be working at the beginning are actually fine and it’s normally some kind of mis-communication.
Morgan Richez, co-founder of Morgan & Mallet, on why being clear early on matters:
“When you say everything to the candidate at the beginning – the good things and the bad things – you can make sure that when he gets the job, he’s going to stay for a long time. He knew everything. He can’t say, ‘I didn’t know about this.’ If you try to hide something, maybe the candidate won’t appreciate it after one month and he’s going to resign.”
You get a 90-day replacement guarantee. If it doesn’t work out, we replace at no extra cost.
When the match is right, nanny placements last.
Laurine remembers a nanny who started with a UK family 14 years ago, raised the children from infancy, and was kept on full salary while she job-hunted at the end because the family didn’t want to rush her.
What Other Types of Nanny Roles Do You Place?
Traveling nanny
Travels full-time with the family. Demand has grown a lot in the last few years. Most candidates are aged 30 to 45, native English speakers, with passports cleared for the family’s main routes. Only 4.82% of nannies in our database travel regularly, which is why this role pays more.
Rota nanny
Two weeks on, two weeks off. Shares the shift with a second nanny so the kids always have someone they know, and each nanny gets real time off. Only 2.36% of our nannies are available for rota work. See our page about hiring a rota nanny.
Bilingual nanny
Native speaker of one language, fluent in another, and uses both languages with the children every day so they grow up bilingual. French, Mandarin, and Spanish are the most requested.
Newborn specialist
Continues from 3 to 12 months, after the maternity nurse leaves. Manages weaning and gets the baby into a routine that works for the household.
Celebrity and UHNW nanny
Full NDAs before the first interview. No social media, no photos of the children. Laurine on principal NDAs: “When you’ve got an NDA, it means a very important person. Usually they’ve got their own legal team to draft it. We make sure the staff understand what they’re signing.”
Special needs nanny
For children with autism, ADHD, learning differences, or medical needs. The nanny needs specialist training and proven experience.
Night nanny
Overnight care so the parents can sleep. Common from birth through 18 months, often paired with a day nanny.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to hire a nanny?
What background checks do you run on nannies?
Should I hire a nanny through an agency or privately?
Privately is cheaper upfront. It’s also where most of the bad placements happen.
The most common issues we see from families who tried alone are wrong tax classification (1099 instead of W-2), no contract, no NDA, no replacement plan, and references that didn’t actually get checked.
Do nannies do housework?
Light housework related to the children, like tidying play areas and washing bottles, is normal.
Other housework usually isn’t, and we don’t recommend mixing roles unless you’ve hired a nanny-housekeeper specifically.
Live-in or live-out?
Can the same nanny work across multiple homes?
Yes. About a third of our US nanny placements involve regular travel to a second or third home.
It could be the Hamptons in summer, Aspen at Christmas, somewhere in Europe for August.
What if I need staff in other countries too?
The same recruiter deals with everything. Morgan & Mallet has offices in London, Paris, Geneva, Monaco, and Dubai.
All offices use the same applicant tracking system, so a candidate interviewed in Paris is can be seen by recruiters in New York almost straight-away.
Do you place nannies outside major US cities?
Yes. We place in the Hamptons, Greenwich, Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, Aspen, Jackson Hole, Scottsdale, the Berkshires, and anywhere else our clients have homes.
Rural and remote searches take longer because the strongest candidates are based in major cities.
Morgan Richez: “The best candidates are in New York, Miami, or Los Angeles. If you’re looking for someone in the middle of the country, it’s about opportunities, not the candidates themselves.”
Do you handle NDAs?
Yes. Every Morgan & Mallet contract includes an NDA between the candidate and the agency.
If your family has its own NDA, the candidate signs that too.
Most UHNW placements involve two layers of confidentiality, and we make sure the candidate understands what they’re signing.
Are the nannies you place legally able to work in the US?
Yes. Every candidate we present has documented right to work in the US. We don’t place undocumented workers.
If you want to bring an international nanny over, we can help you set up the visa side, but it adds time and cost.
Get in touch to hire a nanny
Call Morgan & Mallet on +1 (646)965-2308 or get in touch online.
New York
office address
260 Madison Avenue, 8th floor, 10016, New York, NY - United States
phone
+1 (646)965-2308
opening hours
Monday - Thursday : 9AM - 6PM
Friday : 9AM - 5PM
Saturday & Sunday : Closed
Miami
office address
1221 Brickell Ave Bricknell, Miami, FL 33131, United States
phone
+1 305 710 3380
opening hours
Monday - Thursday : 9AM - 6PM
Friday : 9AM - 5PM
Saturday & Sunday : Closed
Los Angeles
office address
895 Dove St, Newport Beach, CA 92660, United States
phone
+1 305 710 3380
opening hours
Monday - Thursday : 9AM - 6PM
Friday : 9AM - 5PM
Saturday & Sunday : Closed