How It Works
Childcare placements built on trust, understanding, and community.
At KhayaBuntu, we believe finding the right childcare professional is about more than filling a position. It’s about understanding your family’s needs, getting to know our caregivers, creating clear expectations, and building relationships rooted in trust and mutual respect.
Whether you’re a family looking for support or a caregiver looking for the right opportunity, our process is personal, thoughtful, and designed to create lasting connections.
For Families
1. Tell Us About Your Family
Every family is different. We want to understand yours.
Our process begins with a 30–45 minute consultation where we take the time to understand what your household needs and what you’re looking for in the right caregiver.
We’ll discuss:
Your family’s schedule and desired hours
Your children’s ages, personalities, and individual needs
Daily routines, including meals, naps, school, activities, and bedtime
Your parenting philosophy and childcare expectations
The type of support you’re looking for, such as a full-time nanny, part-time nanny, mother’s helper, babysitter, household assistant, or house manager
Whether the position includes travel, overnights, weekends, transportation, or other responsibilities
The caregiver’s responsibilities and any household-related duties
The experience, personality, skills, and qualities you value in a caregiver
Your compensation and benefits expectations
Any important household details a caregiver should know before considering the position, including security cameras, other household employees, pets etc.
We want to understand the full picture before we begin searching.
The more we know about your family, the more thoughtfully we can search for the right fit.
2. Begin Your Search
A thoughtful search starts with understanding the role.
A $500 initial search fee begins the placement process. This fee covers the work involved in beginning and conducting your placement search, including:
Family intake and consultation
Developing a clear understanding of the position and your family's needs
Candidate sourcing and thoughtful matching
Caregiver reference checks
Review of caregiver qualifications and experience
TrustLine registration or application status
Verification of CPR and First Aid certification
Background screening as part of our established screening process
Coordinating caregiver introductions and interviews
If a placement is made, the $500 initial search fee is credited toward your final placement fee.
The final placement fee is 15% of the caregiver's first-year gross compensation, subject to a minimum placement fee of $3,000.
Placement fee calculation:
Agreed hourly rate × guaranteed weekly hours × 52 weeks = first-year gross compensation
First-year gross compensation × 0.15 (15%) = placement fee
Placement fee ($3,000 minimum) − $500 initial search fee = final payment due
The remaining balance is due once the family and caregiver agree to the employment terms and before the caregiver's first day of work.
3. Meet Your Potential Caregivers
Quality over quantity.
Once we understand what you’re looking for, we’ll identify caregivers who may be a strong match for your family.
Rather than sending you an overwhelming list of profiles, we’ll introduce you to two or three candidates we believe align with your needs.
You’ll have the opportunity to review their information, ask questions, and decide which candidates you’d like to meet.
4. Get to Know Each Other
The right fit takes more than a résumé.
We guide families and caregivers through a three-stage introduction process:
Phone or Zoom interview
Start with an initial conversation to discuss the position, experience, expectations, and compatibility.
In-person interview
Meet face-to-face and get to know each other beyond the application.
Trial day
When appropriate, a trial day allows both the family and caregiver to experience what working together could look like in the real environment.
This gives everyone an opportunity to ask questions, observe the dynamic, and make an informed decision before moving forward.
5. Build a Strong Foundation
Clear expectations create stronger working relationships.
Once you’ve found the right caregiver, KhayaBuntu can provide a general employment agreement checklist to help families and caregivers understand the topics they may want to discuss and include to their agreement.
Our role is to provide general educational information, not legal advice.
We encourage families and caregivers to seek independent legal advice regarding their employment agreement.
What Happens If the Match Isn’t Right?
Sometimes, even thoughtful matches don’t work out.
We understand that circumstances can change and that not every placement will become a long-term fit.
Our goal is not to assign blame, but to understand what happened, maintain the integrity of our community, and determine the appropriate next step. We believe professionalism, communication, and respect and safety are important parts of a successful placement.
Rematch
When appropriate, KhayaBuntu may offer one rematch at no additional agency fee when a placement ends within the first 60 days. The original placement fee is non-refundable.
A rematch means we will restart the search for a new caregiver based on the family's current needs and circumstances. The rematch is subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable placement agreement.
If a rematch is not requested or completed within 60 days of the original placement, the search may be restarted as a new placement. A new $500 initial search fee and applicable placement fee would then apply.
Our goal is to approach every placement with care, transparency, and respect.
How Long Does the Process Take?
Every search is different.
The timeline depends on the type of position, your family’s needs, the experience required, availability, and how specific the search is.
Our goal is to work toward a successful placement within 90 days, as outlined in your service agreement.
Some families may find their match sooner, while more specialized searches may take additional time.
We believe finding the right fit is more important than simply making a fast placement.
Because raising children was never meant to be done alone
For Caregivers
1. Start With a Free Application
Your application is always free.
Caregivers begin by submitting an application through KhayaBuntu.
We want to learn about your experience, your strengths, your availability, and the type of opportunity you’re looking for.
We’ll ask about:
Your childcare experience
Your experience working directly for families or other employers
Your professional background
Your qualifications and certifications
Your availability
The type of role you’re interested in
Your preferred schedule
Your experience with children of different ages
Your career goals and areas where you’d like to grow
You don’t need to have years of professional nanny experience to apply.
2. Get to Know KhayaBuntu
Your experience matters. So does your potential.
After reviewing your application, selected caregivers will have an initial interview with us over Zoom.
This is an opportunity for us to learn more about you, answer your questions, discuss your experience, and understand what type of family and position may be a good fit.
If you’re newer to paid childcare, that’s okay.
We may help connect you with an opportunity that matches your current level of experience, such as a mother’s helper position or a role supporting a stay-at-home or work-from-home parent.
Our goal is to help caregivers grow - not expect everyone to start at the same place.
3. Our Vetting & Screening Process
Trust works both ways.
Working inside someone’s home is personal. Families are trusting caregivers with their children, their home, and their private lives. Caregivers are trusting families with their safety, time, livelihood, and professional wellbeing.
That’s why we take screening seriously.
As part of our process, KhayaBuntu may review:
Professional experience
Qualifications and relevant certifications
Professional references
TrustLine registration or application status
CPR & First AID certification
Background screening
Other relevant information based on the position
4. Connect With the Right Opportunities
We want to understand what works for you, too.
When a family is looking for a caregiver who may be a fit for your experience and preferences, we’ll reach out with information about the opportunity.
Depending on your experience and interests, opportunities may include:
Full-time nanny positions
Part-time nanny positions
Mother’s helper roles
Household manager positions
You’ll have the opportunity to learn about the family, the position, schedule, responsibilities, compensation, and expectations before deciding whether you’d like to move forward.
A match has to work for both sides.
5. Meet the Family
Take the time to find out if it’s the right fit.
If you’d like to move forward, we’ll guide you through the introduction process.
This may include:
Phone or Zoom interview
An initial conversation to learn about the family and discuss the position.
In-person interview
An opportunity to meet the family and get a feel for the household and working relationship.
Trial day
When appropriate, a trial day allows both you and the family to experience what working together may look like.
We encourage caregivers to ask questions and make sure they fully understand the position before accepting it.
6. Build a Strong Foundation
Clear expectations create stronger working relationships.
Once you’ve found the right family, KhayaBuntu can provide a general employment agreement checklist to help families and caregivers understand the topics they may want to discuss and include in their agreement.
Our role is to provide general educational information, not legal advice.
We encourage families and caregivers to seek independent legal advice regarding their employment agreement.
7. Grow With the KhayaBuntu Community
Your journey doesn’t end with one placement.
When you become part of the KhayaBuntu caregiving community, you’re not simply finding one job.
As opportunities become available, caregivers may be considered for future positions, or new family placements when previous position comes to an end.
As your experience grows, your opportunities can grow with you.
We’re here to build a community where caregivers can develop their careers, find meaningful opportunities, and feel supported along the way.
What Happens If the Match Isn’t Right?
Sometimes, even thoughtful matches don’t work out.
We understand that circumstances can change and that not every placement will become a long-term fit.
When appropriate, KhayaBuntu may offer a rematch based on the circumstances surrounding the end of the placement.
Our goal is not to assign blame. It’s to understand what happened, protect the integrity of our community, and determine the appropriate next step.
Accountability matters.
We believe accountability is an important part of creating a trustworthy community.
How Long Does the Process Take?
Every search is different.
The timeline depends on the type of position, the experience required, availability, and how specific the search is.
For caregivers, the timeline will vary depending on your application, screening process, experience, and available opportunities.
We believe finding the right fit is more important than simply making a fast placement.