How are nannies and caregivers vetted? Inside our screening process

Every Rosemary Care placement begins with a question: would we trust this person in our own home, with our own family? Fewer than one in twenty applicants make it through. Here is precisely what that screening looks like, step by step.

What does caregiver vetting actually involve?

Vetting at Rosemary Care has five stages: identity and right-to-work verification, national and county background checks, a minimum of three verified professional references, a competency and CPR/first-aid check, and a personal interview with our placement team. A caregiver only joins our roster after passing all five.

1. Identity and credentials

We confirm each applicant's identity, right to work, and any claimed qualifications, including the college STEM degrees many of our school-age caregivers hold. Certificates such as CPR, first aid, and early-childhood training are verified against the issuing body, never taken at face value.

2. Background checks

We run national and county criminal background checks and re-run them on a recurring basis for active caregivers. A clear record is necessary, but it is the floor, not the finish line.

3. References that we actually call

We require at least three professional references and we speak to each one directly. We ask specific, behavioral questions: how the caregiver handled a hard day, how they communicated with parents, what they did when a child or older adult was unwell.

4. The in-person interview

Skills can be taught; warmth and judgment are harder to fake. Our team meets every caregiver in person to understand their temperament, their motivation, and how they think about care.

5. Matching, then ongoing support

Passing our screening earns a place on the roster, not an automatic placement. We hand-select caregivers for each family, then stay close after placement with regular check-ins. Vetting is continuous, not a one-time gate.

The takeaway

Good vetting is boring on purpose: it is thorough, repeated, and human. That rigor is what lets a family relax once a Rosemary Care caregiver walks through the door.