2001 Article in the Stamford (CT) Advocate

In this country, you have to be trained and licensed so you don't damage someone's hair or nails. Why don't you need to be trained and licensed so you don't damage a CHILD?

The Advocate
December 24, 2001 -

STAMFORD--Forget the image actress Fran Drescher created for millions of television viewers in the 1990's. Real life nanny Elizabeth Docherty says raising other people's children is hard work and deserves respect...Docherty, a British native who lives in Stamford, is part of a national movement for federal recognition of nannies as skilled professionals

...Sheilagh Roth, founder of the English Nanny & Governess School in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, said Docherty's efforts could start to change the way Americans view child care in their home. "We've got to be honest. Most mothers are not home, and we have to make sure the people watching their children are educated." Roth said. "If someone paints nails, the government requires hours and hours of training. Yet, when it comes to raising children, we have no standard."

...British nannies belong to a time honored profession. Former North Stamford nanny Sheila Houlahan graduated from a two year college program for nannies in Britain and passed a standardized test called the National Nursery Examination Board. "I came here and found out it's very looked down upon, and was mortified," Houlihan said. In the United States, Roth said, "the right people are not getting into the profession because it comes without status."

...Bradford Gaylord, Chief Operating Officer of Roth's nanny school, said there is no reason to make the job a skilled profession unless there are education requirements. "Formal education, plain and simple - that will end (the nannies) concerns," he said. The private, non profit school offers a one year nanny training program that includes three months of classes studying child development, nutrition, hygiene, safety and security, interpersonal communication with families, as well as a nine month externship. Gaylord said his school has many applicants but only a few pass the screening process, which includes FBI, State and local police background checks, a search of driving records, six character references and a psycho-social assessment.

...A clear definition of the nanny profession would benefit everyone involved, Docherty said. "At the end of the day, a happy nanny is a good nanny - and that will show in the child," she said.