Families, DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND HIRE A DIFFERRNT AGENCY TO FIND A NANNY. Kathy Murphy was SO nice and sweet at first. They found a nanny for us , North shore Nannies got paid, we thought we had found the right Nanny. Then our Nanny quit suddenly and I had no back up nanny to watch my kids . I called Kathy directly and she was a different person. Of course after she got her money . They do NOT CARE about the nannies or families, they just want to make money . I tried calling Kathy many times and she wouldn't return my calls , She said she would look for another nanny for us and she NEVER DID. I had to call my previous Nanny to help me out because Kathy wouldn't help us. She took forever to send other nannies over for interviews. Please do not hire this terrible agency. On top of that , you need to know Kathy is the sweetest at first and then she turns into a rude monster . She is always angry and has a terrible attitude .I will make sure to tell my friends not to hire you Kathy Murphy. read more

I had a very positive experience working with NSN as one of their nannies. After the very in-depth interview process (which it should always be for nannies), I was able to get at least two 4-hr gigs a week when I was unemployed from their temp list and they went right to work matching me up with a family to be a full time nanny for. I ended up finding a nanny job outside of NSN by chance, but they were fully supportive and let me stay on as a temp. Kathy and Becky are just so great! They are great at getting back to you quickly. I always recommend them to moms that I meet that are looking for trustworthy, quality nannies/babysitters. The family I nanny for FT even uses them when I am on vacation or sick. Definitely use them! read more

As a nanny and babysitter, this agency has been amazing, for me! Kathy and Becky are so personable and helpful. I have been working with this agency for over 3 years and they found me 2 wonderful full time positions. The first position I had for 3 years (the children a no longer need a nanny) and the current one that I've just started. I don't know what I would do without them. Kathy has gone above and beyond to help me find great families to work with. In both instances of looking for a new position, I meet with several families. Then, because I had several options, I was able to pick a family I felt was a good match. So, if you are a nanny looking to get connected to great families, for full time positions or for babysitting, this is the agency for you. They are the best. read more

I wouldn't bother working with this company. After reading the other reviews I see most people also had issues with Kathy. She is very rude and unwilling to help. She actually hung up on me once. The job listing are posted almost everywhere yet the company is so unwilling to help anyone find a job. read more

We had a very frustrating experience with this agency. Total lack of professionalism and responsiveness. They don't answer emails even when they've been informed that you need immediate help. They will tell you that they're working for you, but they don't provide updates and don't answer requests for updates. The candidates that were sent to us were terrible. I don't know whether the agency checks social media profiles of candidates, but I can't imagine they do. We always check social media and were surprised to see things that in our view would immediately disqualify anyone from being a candidate. There are a lot of nanny agencies in the area that serve downtown and suburbs. Look around, interview other agencies because this agency will just cause you unnecessary stress. read more

As a customer, I was baffled by their rude and unprofessional service. The woman I spoke to had incredible attitude unlike anything I have ever experienced. They were difficult to get on the phone and once I did they were impatient and uncomfortable to talk to. I will never work with them. I would much rather go to Care.Com or Sittercity. read more

I first contacted North Shore Nannies almost a month and a half ago, and they still have not set up a single interview for me. Nor have they returned either of my last two emails. I feel like they are moving incredibly slow and do not care about finding me as a nanny nor gaining my confidence, business, or referral. I am serious about finding a nanny but would rather search on my own than continue to call and email North Shore Nanny begging for a response. I have several friends who are thinking about using them, and I plan to tell them not to bother, despite the fact that some of my friends have had a good experience with them. read more

I had the same experience with Kathy as the others. I think she cherry picks her customers. As long as you are willing to pay $20 an hour for your nanny she will call you back. As soon as she finds out you want to pay less, she is not interested in working with you. read more

Very bad experience. A sarcastic and rude attitude. Kathy is not helpful but even worse-she talks down to you! I have very little respect for someone who is in a professional business acting like this. She will not find you a job and answer or respond. Funny there are postings on Sittercity and also a Facebook Website where Nannies and Families are looking on their own without an Agency involved! Northshore Nanny Agency is all over those websites which is not right. Do not bother with this one. Awful!! read more

I don't generally write reviews, but we were so disappointed by North Shore Nannies I wanted to warn other families not to bother with this agency. A coworker recommended the agency to my husband and we've called and emailed and waited and have heard NOTHING. It has been almost two weeks! It is an extremely unprofessional way to run a business. You're looking for the best for your kids and if this is the way they treat potential clients from the start, I would turn and run the other way!! I called another agency that had loads of positive reviews on yelp and got a call back the next business day. If you're someone who values follow through, don't bother with North Shore Nannies. read more

I had the same experience as a previous reviewer. I had an initial phone conversation with Kathy describing the type of individual we are looking for to nanny for our children. She said the next step would be to recommend applicants for us to interview. She knew we were looking to fill our position quickly. However, after weeks of emails and phone calls, I have yet to hear back from them. If they didn't have anyone that fit what we're looking for I would have understood but the complete lack of communication is unacceptable. If you are looking to work with a professional agency for your childcare needs, this is not the place! read more

North Shore Nannies found me two full-time nanny positions. When I knew one job was ending (kids were off to college) I contacted Kathy and Becky at North Shore to ensure I had a new position lined up. Each time I shared with them what I was looking for and my past childcare experience. They were able to find me several matches and I went ahead and interviewed. Lucky for me, I found a job with the first family I interviewed with! The interview process was thorough which was not only good for me but also for the family. It can be such an intimate job and the interview process is really key when trying to find the right family/nanny match. Compared to responding to several online bulletin boards or craigslist ads, I found calling North Shore Nannies directly was the easiest and best decision I made. It saved me time from seeking out positions on my own and going on interviews with complete strangers. Going through North Shore Nannies allowed for a third party to be involved (they already have all the information on the families, location, requirements, and perhaps have placed a nanny there before). Overall, it saved me time and put me in touch with families that I may not have found on my own. I also found that North Shore Nannies has been around the longest and has families all over the Chicagoland area from Lake Forest to the Gold Coast. I had such a positive experience with North Shore Nannies over the last several years that I chose to use their babysitting services for my wedding. I had several friends and family members coming from out of town that needed sitters and of course they had no idea where to look! I booked two sitters through North Shore and it worked out perfectly! read more

I used North Shore Nannies as my old nanny position was ending and the child was going to pre school. I interviewed with Becky who was really sweet and then for the rest of my search worked directly with Kathy. She was great! The process took a couple weeks but I think it was more so because my previous employers all had pretty busy work schedules and they wanted to have thorough reference checks. They sent me on multiple interviews which I felt really good about and was offered a position with the first family! They are very professional and found me a really great family. I look forward to working with them again. read more

North Shore Nannies is the best. They can be a bit slow with the emails but Becky and Kathy really seem to care about the nannies and the families. read more

I have never wrote a review before, but the experience I had with Kathy was disgraceful. She was rude and unhelpful on the phone. And after asking her few questions about her nannies she told me she was not willing to give any more information. She was angry and mean. There are many agencies. I will not be working with her. Wow! read more

My husband and I have used North Shore Nannies on a regular bases as in several times a week since our 4 and a half year old was six months old. I can count on one hadn the numver of nannies I haven't liked. Their nannies are all well educated, responsible, kind, helpful, energetic, and loving. I never worry about my son when we have a north shore nannie around. When I call or email I usualy have a nanny in 24 hours or less. Actually, usually less. They don't always get right back to me interms of letting me know they got my message, usually I just get my email telling me who will be sitting. But considering there are only two people running this show it's understandable. I mean, I'm not their only client. Their prices are on the higher side 14$ an hour, but you get what you pay for and they give you the best. Anyways, for first rate child care I highly recomend them. read more

How has no one reviewed them before? We've used North Shore for almost two years now and just love them. They're our go to source for babysitters. I love that I can email Becky and know I'll get a very high quality babysitter - even on short notice. It is also nice to know that everyone has been well screened and will treat our daughter with great care. read more

This is the worst nanny agency. Kathy is a rude and mean person she looks like she is angry of herself she doesn't have any manners to deal with people, how can families hire her to find a nanny. I feel bad for people working around her, also for parents trusting her to find a person to take care of their children. Parents read all the reviews before coming across to this psycho person. Just give her a call she is rude and ugly person to deal with. Had the worst nightmare talking to her. read more

This is a zero-star review but selected one star to allow the review to become validated by the system. Learned we would be moving across the country, from NYC, best city in the world. Spoke to my Chicago friends regarding finding a nanny for my son and they uniformly suggested NSN as being the premier agency. Spoke with Kathy in May 2014. She expressed optimism in finding candidates. Was willing to look at either full time or part time options to increase our chances of finding someone. Neither Kathy nor Becky ever reached out to me with status of the searches or with ANY candidates. When I called them in July 2014, they told me that I was out of line and that they would not contact me -- and there would be no communication whatsoever -- until they found a prospective candidate. It is now April 2015 -- one year after I engaged NSN in the search -- and I find it hard to believe that either of these women conducted any search for a caregiver for my child. As a client I find this to be disappointing --- but as a parent I find it to be horrifying. This situation has been nagging on my conscience for quite some time, whether to let NSN slither away or not, and I made my decision that they should be held accountable. From my experience, I can conclude that NSN is unprofessional, feckless and ineffectual. I recommend that you look everywhere else possible before you dial their number. Thank you for listening and caveat emptor. read more

I wish there was a way I could give zero stars because that's the kind of service I was given. From the rudeness to the plain disrespect, the experience I had with North Shore Nannies was like no other. First, it's extremely difficult to get in contact with anyone, I left messages and waited weeks for someone to finally call me back then today I speak with Kathy and she was just plain rude. I see why they have so many open positions because they can't find Nannies to fill to these positions because they don't know how to treat them!! Please do us all a favor and learn some phone etiquette, class and learn to treat people better, OR go out of business!! read more

We love Northshore Nannies and use them whenever we need a sitter for the evening or day. They are extremely friendly (Love the owner Kathy!). Every sitter we have used from them has been well educated, friendly, and my daughter loved them. They obviously only use the best sitters. The do background checks on the sitters, so I trust that I'm leaving my child with someone safe! read more

I had the same experience as a few other reviewers on here. North Shore Nannies is fake! At first they make you sound like they are very interested in you and have a job ready for you, but then they totally blow you off! They lead you on way to much! Kathy actually found me and was wondering if I was interested using them. I didn't even find them. She wanted to interview me right away so I ended up meeting her. The interview went really well and she seemed to really care about me and understand that I wanted to find something right away. She told me she was going to check my references and would get back to me right away. Well turns out Becky was the one who checked my references (thought that was a little weird since Becky wasn't even the one who interviewed me and Becky is in charge of temporary placements when I clearly told Kathy I wanted a more permanent job). After I heard back from all my references that they had contacted them and didn't hear back from North Shore Nannies, I ended up calling Kathy. She told me she had been very busy (a little weird since this is her job) and told me my folder was sitting on her desk and she would call me back in the next couple of days. I ended up waiting and she still didn't call me back. I waited a number of weeks and e-mailed her again, but they still have the nerve to not return any of my calls or e-mails. Personally, I think this is VERY RUDE and totally not professional!!! Don't tell someone you are interested in them and say you will get back to them when you really don't. At least they could let me know they can't find anyone, etc. I'm using sittercity.com and care.com to look for jobs on my own and having so much better luck then going with them. All I can say is they are fake and you would have so much better luck without them. read more

I had a terrible experience with this company! After my initial I was so excited because she was so confident in telling me she would find me a job within the next month. I was sent on one interview which I had to turn down and after that I heard absolutely nothing back from them! I called and left multiple voicemails and sent quite a few emails and it has now been a month! If they did not want to work with me or didn't have any jobs at the time that's fine but I should have been told that! It was so unprofessional and I would highly recommend to STAY AWAY from this company!!! read more

I interviewed with North Shore nannies. I have over 8 years of professional experience working with numerous of high profile families including a celebrity with a signed privacy agreement. I went on a interview with them and they seemed to love me. They followed up with me and my 3 references who Becky said was GREAT. She was waiting to speak with my last reference and couldn't get ahold of her and asked me to reach out to her so they could speak and I can get on a interview with a great family for 60+ hours a week and she's eager for me to move forward! My last family she was trying to reach was very sick (as I couldn't get ahold of her either) I finally reached her and asked her if she could call Becky back. She speaks with Becky, then Becky calls me basically asking me if I'm lying about my last reference because she mixed up the dates. Are you serious? First off the poor mother of two toddlers was sick, and I'm legit! I have outstanding professional references and have been with my last family with three children for 4+ years! Becky was very unprofessional and rude. I followed up with her regarding the job she was so eager for me to jump on and she basically led me on. Safe to say, I am now with a great family I found ON MY OWN -- (Sittercity.com) and families don't have to pay a $3,000 outstanding matching fee. I conducted my 100% complete background, my family called all my references, has my drivers license and insurance card! I am now HIRED and getting paid $40.00 an hour as a Nanny/House Manager/ Personal Assistant for two wonderful individuals with two kids. ALSO- I reached out to Kathy(who's the director?) I left her a voicemail- she never returned my call. I am thankful to not be dealing with Becky or anyone with North Shore Nannies because they are rude and just passed up an opportunity they had with a wonderful, caring, intelligent, and loving nanny. read more

What's with the attitude? Answering phone calls and emails took forever, and I was sent on a few interviews with flaky families. I didn't feel like Kathy cared. I found my own job thanks to care.com! read more

I had a similar experience to some of the other reviewers. I spoke with Kathy at length, she promised to send me candidates, and then I heard nothing despite my follow up. I subsequently interviewed one potential candidate on my own from sitter city who told me she works as a babysitter through North Shore Nannies all of the time for last minute one-off sitting jobs. This candidate was a complete train wreck, and completely inappropriate in many ways, so I was surprised to learn that she was a "regular" spot sitter for North Shore Nannies. I subsequently used Oliveyou Nannies, and they were highly responsive and did find me a nanny quickly who fits our extremely specific criteria. I rarely write negative reviews, but North Shore Nannies inexplicably wasted my time and acted extremely unprofessionally in doing so, so I thought a warning to other busy parents was warrented. read more

This review is long overdue. If you are a nanny (like myself) or a family looking for an awesome nanny then do yourself a favor and call Kathy at North Shore Nannies. I had such a pleasant experience working with NSN when I was looking for a FT position with a family in the city. They are experienced, professional and great at communication. I was sent on a handful of interviews and within a couple weeks had a job offer for a dream job working with two families in a nanny share. Kathy was patient, friendly and helped answer all of my questions. She is an excellent middle man and makes sure everyone is satisfied with the employment agreement. The job she found me was hands down one of the best jobs I have ever had. Kathy is an excellent match maker and knows right away who will be a great fit. Hiring NSN will save you so much time, money and energy because they will help you find your dream nanny. read more

I joined yelp just to write this review. I contacted north shore nannies at the end of July, looking for someone to start in the beginning of September. I filled out the application online and had a conversation with kathy who said the next step would be to send applicants my way. It is now over 6 weeks later and 3 weeks before I go back to work and I have yet to hear ANYTHING from her. I have no idea if she is even looking, but I'm glad I had another agency that responded and has quickly sent me great nanny candidates. I would NEVER recommend them, I think they have forgotten they are in the business of finding someone to take care of yor family...one of the hardest decisions someone will ever have to make. It's more than a business transaction. read more

My first impression was that north shore nannies was a great agency. Kathy called me right after I applied for a position and set me up on an interview to meet Becky. Becky was nice at the interview and I explained that my last position ended and they told me they would call and check with all my references. My references said they talked to them and gave good feedback. Every time I called to check on the status of my application they kept giving me the run around and told me by me calling I wasn't helping the process. When I first applied they told me they had the perfect position for me since I was only looking for 3 days a week. After what seemed like a great interview, they were very short with me, it was a drastic change. I understand having a lot of work to do, but being snotty with someone who is inquiring about a position is not right. I have a degree in Early childhood and I prefer being a nanny to the classroom and I was told this was a great agency but they treated me bad. After calling a few times I gave up on what was "suppose to be a great fit position" for me. read more

Save yourself and go to another agency. They are rude and do not respond to emails nor answer phone calls. I would not recommend anyone to use these rude people read more

Terrible! Stay away! I worked with them when i was moving to Chicago because their website looked really good. She quickly found me a great paying job that I thought was my dream job. I quickly realized this family was a terrible fit for me and simply wanted someone to do what they say , not ask questions and do keep the children away from them so they wouldn't be bothered. I am a young college educated nanny who loves to build relationships with the families. When i contacted Kathy to tell her of my questions and concerns she completely ignored me. To this day she never responded to my multiple phone calls and e-mails. I have since gone back to look at her website, 4 months later and realized that the job descriptions haven't changed. This is a terrible agency and i tell all the parents and nannies that I meet to stay away. All Kathy is interested in is getting her placement fee, then she wants nothing to do with you. read more

I am a professional nanny and worked with Kathy when I was exploring nanny positions in the North Shore area. After an slightly unfriendly experience with another Chicago-area agency, Kathy's personable attitude grabbed me instantly. Kathy took the time to get to know me personally and professionally, which speaks volumes in this field. She had several interviews set up for me within less than a week, and each of them were great matches. I was so appreciative - for my sake and for the families' - that she took the time to match me specifically with families who were a good fit. Although I eventually chose to sign on with a family in a different area of the state, Kathy was absolutely fantastic to work with and I would absolutely recommend North Shore. read more

i am a professional not only in childcare but in many other domains, i have credentials that are more than reliable to work as a chilcare provider. with the economy of the country being down i decided to go back and give my qualifications to the most important sector of our society, children. i send my resume, and call north shore nannies. what a surprise! the interviewer in the plone was rude, arrogant, sarcastic and spoke to me down as if i was and slave, i said where is the whip. i don't recommend this agency to anyone that respect themself, even better they shall close this bussiness appear to me that the explote , minorities and they know it. they are bad and its important to remember that some people in need of job, put up with this kind of teratment. 1 star justice for all. read more

I have never been sacked as a client by anyone but this is what happened with North Shore Nannies after having them place and earn the fees on two nannies (that would be over $4000). All of this over an unpaid invoice of about $25 which had been mistakenly overlooked. Apparently I had been chased up numerous times (twice and the second time I responded). I had the audacity to ask for an invoice detailing the booking fee charges. Apparently it is beyond them to provide invoices. Huh? I thought you had to provide invoices? Thinking this might have been some strange occurence I checked with two other friends who used North Shore Nannies. Guess what, they asked for invoices and then they also got sacked as clients. Wow! Way to keep customers. read more

Long over due review- Kathy helped us find our nanny and she is wonderful. We found our nanny through NSN and I can't say enough nice things about her. She's been with us for almost a year now and she is like family. It is nice to have a service do the hard work for you- especially if both parents are working - it's a time saver. It is fairly pricey to pay for the service initially but I feel like we had many good nannies to choose from. Early on- we had hired a nanny that just wasn't working out for us. She wasn't dangerous, she just wasn't good. It had nothing to do with Northshore Nannies- nanny #1 was great in an interview, came with a clear background check, and good references. Once we realized she was a dud- Kathy helped us through the process of how to let her go and called often to see how it was going. She also was able to set up interviews for a new nanny very quickly. That is when we found our current excellent nanny- very glad we used them. In the future, we also plan on using their babysitting service- we found out that some of the nannies moonlight as sitters too. Which I think is great- it's nice to know your sitter has been screened and passed a background check has references etc. read more

The process was lengthy, long waits. I did, finally get a part time position. I received no support, several insults and a refusal to help me secure another position. When the job, thankfully, ended, I did not hear from North shore Nannies again and am grateful as I have found an agency far more supportive and capable. read more