After-School Nanny in the Bay Area

The hours between school pickup and dinner are where a lot of Bay Area families feel the squeeze. Someone has to get the kids home, get homework started, drive to practice, and have everyone fed before the evening. An after-school nanny covers that stretch, on the same days and with the same person every week.

Here's what the role looks like, how it differs from a babysitter, and how we place after-school nannies across the Bay Area.

What does an after-school nanny do?

An after-school nanny is a part-time nanny who works the afternoon and early-evening hours on a set weekly schedule. A typical afternoon includes:

School pickup, on foot or by car
Snack and downtime once everyone is home
Homework help, with a consistent routine every day
Driving to lessons and activities: sports, music, tutoring
Simple meal prep for the kids
A clear handoff to parents at the end of the day

Most after-school roles fall in the 15–29 hours a week range, the same as our other part-time placements.

After-school nanny vs. babysitter

Both care for children, but they solve different problems.

	After-school nanny	Babysitter
Schedule	Same days and hours every week	As needed: date nights, one-off evenings
Relationship	Ongoing; knows your kids' routines, teachers and activities	Occasional
Responsibilities	Pickup, homework, driving, meals, activities	Supervision for a set block of time
Commitment	Nannies we place commit to a minimum of one year	Usually none

If you need help most weekdays, an after-school nanny gives your kids consistency that a rotating set of sitters can't. If you need someone a few evenings a month, a babysitter is the better fit.

Who an after-school nanny is right for

Families with school-age children who need care after the bell
Two working parents, or one parent on a hybrid schedule
Families whose afternoons include multiple pickups and activities across town
Parents who want homework handled before they get home

Many families start part-time and add hours later, for example over summer break. We structure part-time placements so they can grow.

How we screen every nanny

An after-school nanny is often alone with your children and behind the wheel, so screening matters. Before we introduce anyone, Robin personally interviews them and we verify:

Nanny experience and professional references
TrustLine status, California's background screening system for in-home childcare providers
Driving record (DMV) for roles that include driving
CPR and First Aid certification
Health clearances
Authorization to work in the United States

You can read the full process in How We Screen Every Nanny.

What it costs to hire through us

Nanny pay depends on location and changes with the market, so call us for a quote on hourly rates.

Our placement fee works the same for part-time and full-time roles: six weeks of the nanny's gross salary, which is the hourly rate × guaranteed weekly hours × 6. You start with a $325 intake fee, which is credited toward the placement fee. Every permanent placement, part-time included, comes with a six-month replacement guarantee. You can work out your number with the calculator on our placement fees page.

Questions to ask before you hire

Will the nanny drive our car or their own? Who covers mileage?
Which days and hours are guaranteed each week?
What happens on school holidays and minimum days?
What does homework help look like, and how will we communicate about it?
Who is the employer for payroll? (The family is. We place the nanny but aren't the employer.)

For more, see our nanny interview questions.

Where we place after-school nannies

We place part-time and after-school nannies across the Bay Area: San Francisco, the Peninsula, Silicon Valley and the South Bay, the East Bay, the Tri-Valley and Marin, all hand-matched from our Danville office since 1996.

Ready to find your after-school nanny? Start the family application or call us at (925) 743-0587.