This past May, the International Nanny Association named Helen McCarthy our 27th Nanny of the Year. Helen is the first nanny living outside the US to receive this honor and she is incredibly deserving of the recognition. As an international candidate, Helen had to overcome some obstacles in her application that those living in the US did not have. Shipping from overseas is not only expensive but more challenging.
The process to apply or be nominated for Nanny of the Year has changed over the years. From its start as a few simple pages, to it’s current form; 4 spiral bound portfolios printed, and mailed to our office, it has seen many changes. We believe we have found the right balance of content however, it is now in need of a technological upgrade. The world is now digital and the INA Nanny of the Year application is now going digital as well.
As we move to a digital portfolio, we are also making a few changes to the deadline and process the application will take. The content the candidate will need to provide will remain largely the same, but we will be utilizing our new member platform Member365, in order to simplify the process for the nominator, NOTY candidate, and the INA office. We have 5 simple steps to follow.
Step 1 – Anyone wishing to nominate an individual for Nanny of the Year will have until October 31st, 2016 to complete the simple online form found HERE. They will be asked to give basic info on themselves and the nanny they are nominating as well as a letter or essay between 600-1000 words, stating why the person being nominated should be the Nanny of the Year.
Step 2 – The NOTY Chair and Selection Committee will review the nomination form the nomination form to confirm that the candidate in question meets the eligibility requirements found in the NOTY Guidelines.
Step 3 – Once eligibility is confirmed, the NOTY candidate will be given access to the online digital NOTY Portfolio through their INA Member Portal. Access to this form will be given no later than November 15th, 2016.
Step 4 – From November 15th, 2016 – January 15th, 2017, the NOTY Candidate will fill out the digital form on the INA Member Portal. Progress can be done in small steps and progress can be saved to come back to at a later date. Once complete, the candidate will hit the “submit button.” Again, the questions candidates answer are much the same as they have been over the last few years. They are just in digital form.
Step 5 – After this point, the selection process will continue as it has been over the past several years. The Selection Committee will start the background checks, talk to references and conduct the NOTY interviews. Selection of the 2017 NOTY should be done by March 2017 but will not be announced until the week before the conference.
The INA Board understands that changes are often difficult and may cause confusion. The Nanny of the Year Selection Committee is always willing to answer questions from NOTY candidates or nominators. Please send any inquiries to info@nanny.org.