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 Spring Edition, 2010 |
| A Message From Kathy |
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As More Parents Stay Home with their Children, Down Time Becomes More Precious
Given the current economic climate, many parents are staying home or working from home these days, often blurring the lines between work and time off and creating an imbalance of 'work life balance'. The pendulum swings under the weight of work, and time to refresh and recharge becomes slim to nil.
MBF wants to help you recapture some time for yourself! Often, we are so busy that we miss out on the simple pleasures of life like lunch with a friend or the grocery store without kids (do I hear an "amen"?), taking that exercise class, or enjoying a therapeutic massage. Start by booking a day of care so that you can enjoy a day to yourself to do that which fills your cup! Then, book an evening of care so that you can reconnect with your spouse over a nice (and uninterrupted!) meal and perhaps an activity you enjoy doing together (or used to!).
Our kids are precious to us and benefit when we make the time to round out our lives so that we have more of ourselves to give back when we do spend time with them. Happy, healthy kids have parents who are role models for them of what it means to lead a well-balanced life and observe parents with diverse interests but wholly committed to each other and to them.
MBF is here for you to help you reclaim some of that lost time and enable you to fulfill some of those 2010 resolutions!
Sincerely, Kathy Dupuy, Owner |
| Announcements |
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Office Space Available
2 single office spaces available for sublease in Westlake Hills (Bee Cave and South 360). Monthly rent is $450 & $550/mo. Sizes range 155 & 254 square feet. Spaces include: *Internet *1 Desk *1 Office chair *1-3 Guest chairs *2 Side tables (larger office only) *Access to kitchen area *Use of conference room (subject to reservation) Minimum 6 month lease with 45 days written notice of cancellation. Must have at least 1 landlord/rental reference and 1 character reference. Security deposit and first month's rent due at lease signing. Please contact Stephanie at Stephanie.purcell@mbfagency.com
Senior Care is Coming to MBF Austin!
As many of us are becoming caregivers for our parents, Mom's Best Friend has seen that there is a great need for high quality senior care (non-medical) and personal assistant services. Within the month, Mom's Best Friend will be launching Senior Care services through our temporary division. If you have any questions or want more details, please contact seniorcare@mbfagency.com for more information. |
| Tax Tips from Breedlove and Associates |
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 Q: I'm trying to help my nanny minimize her tax liability. Do you have any advice?
A: There are two key tax minimization strategies you can consider. First, let's look at non-taxable forms of compensation. If your nanny is interested in a health insurance policy, you can contribute toward her premium. Your contribution (up to the amount of the premium) is considered non-taxable for both you and your nanny. This means neither you nor your nanny will have to pay any taxes on that portion of her compensation - thereby enabling you to increase her disposable income without you having to increase your out-of-pocket costs. The same concept applies to tuition expenses (up to $5,250 per year) if she attends an accredited college or university. In addition to these significant tax-savers, the IRS also considers public transportation and work-related parking to be non-taxable forms of compensation. If your nanny is spending money in any of these areas, call us and let us help you save money - for yourself and your nanny.
Second, she may qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a program designed to help working Americans in the lower income tax brackets. If your nanny 1) has a Social Security Number, 2) is a U.S. citizen, 3) is not claimed as a dependent on someone else's tax return and 4) had investment income in 2009 of $3,100 or less, then she will qualify for the EITC if she falls into one of these earning categories:
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3 or more children & earned income and adjusted gross income not exceeding $43,279 ($48,279 if married filing jointly)
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2 children & earned income and adjusted gross income not exceeding $40,295 ($45,295 if married filing jointly)
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1 child & earned income and adjusted gross income not exceeding $35,463 ($40,463 if married filing jointly)
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0 children & earned income and adjusted gross income not exceeding $13,440 ($18,440)
If she qualifies, she should visit http://www.eitc.irs.gov/central/main/ and file a claim. She will receive a significant tax reduction. For the 2009 tax year, the credit is up to the following amounts:
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$5,657
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$5,028
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$3,043
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$457
Note: If the amount of her earned income tax credit exceeds her tax liability, she will receive a check for the difference. This program provides enormous tax relief, but most workers miss out on it because it is not an automatic credit and it hasn't been well promoted. The only way to get the EITC is to file a claim for it. |
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Spring Sitter Special
Book a full day weekend job at the half day rate (Save $15)from now through April 25th! Use code: SSS10 Book Now!
Summer Nanny Special |
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For only a $900 flat agency fee, you can hire a nanny for at least 20 hours/week and a minimum of 12 weeks! For more information, please contact Laura Patterson (laura.patterson@mbfagency.com) or at 512-646-1041. |
| Ask the Expert |
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Q: Why should I use an agency to find a nanny rather than trying to find someone on my own or through an online listing service?
A: Right now more than ever, families are mindful of spending money wisely and getting the most value for their hard earned money, even if that means doing things themselves that they might have previously outsourced. If done correctly and thoroughly, this can be an effective method for cost savings. However, families frequently miss critical pieces of the process when attempting the "do it yourself" method. A professional agency will help in 3 important ways:
- Help create a job description or family profile which can be sent to candidates interested in the job to ensure that (minimally) the schedule, pay, responsibilities requested, experience/education required and the ages and number of children are a fit for potential candidates. MBF maintains a large pool of existing nanny candidates currently seeking jobs who continually reference new job postings on our website, and we personally contact those who we feel would be a good fit for each new position. After more than 15 years in business, many of our nannies come to us via word of mouth and have been placed with multiple families as their job ends. These very professional candidates want to be represented by an agency and come back time and time again to us and are not self posting on an online listing service, so you may miss out on some of these candidates should you choose to search on your own.
- Provide only candidates for your review who have already been thoroughly screened and vetted and meet the qualifications for eligibility to be placed through a professional agency. At MBF, we track these numbers carefully and know that only 8% of all candidates who apply with us get all the way through the lengthy application and screening process. This translates into 100 candidates that you would have to interview to yield 8 who are "qualified" and then screened down from there based on the factors noted in #1 above. Therefore, perhaps only a few of the initial 100 could be a fit for your family. Most families don't have time for this extensive paring down process.
- Once a candidate has been identified that meets your family's needs and you decide to proceed with a job offer, an agency can assist in some important ways. First of all, MBF has a detailed employment agreement template that we provide to families to clarify expectations for the job and thus help ensure a long-term successful relationship. Additionally, we run an extensive background check which includes speaking to past employers, a criminal check, a driving check, highest level education verification, and identity authentication and verification, among other things. Most families do not know how or have the resources to do this type screening. Furthermore, MBF is one of the only agencies in the country to do ongoing monitoring, by re-running these checks every month for the lifetime of the placement as a part of the placement package.
MBF wants to deliver not only the above services but to be a continued trusted advisor that you can use as a resource when you have questions about what is standard in the industry in areas such as raises, vacation, and insurance. We can also offer assistance through our temporary division when your nanny is sick, on vacation or you just need some supplemental help. Our goal is to deliver value in these ways so that, even in times like these, the value we offer our client families is unparallel anywhere and thus well worth the financial investment.
Kathy Dupuy, Owner |
| Organizing Tips From the Clutter Diet |
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You Love Your Stuff...Does it Love You Back?
 When I work with clients, so often we are going through items and they happily exclaim, "Oh, I LOVE this (fill in the blank)!" They get to say this a few times (and I do say this myself), but if I hear this sentence used too much as a rationalization for keeping things that are not needed, we have to discuss that. The stuff does not love you back! What is at the root of this love for inanimate objects?
Loved items from the PAST: We form attachments to objects because we love the memories that those objects represent. A model car might represent that car you drove in high school, with the attached memories of the fun you had with your friends driving around. Baby clothes represent the sweet memories of your children's cuteness (before they became teenagers). It's great to keep some mementos, but only if they are not overpowering your ability to function in your current time and space and blocking what you can do in the present and future. (See my previous post, "Letting Go of Sentimental Attachments," for several tips on how to preserve memories without keeping everything.)
Loved items for the FUTURE: We also might love objects because of what we hope they represent for ourselves later. You may prize an exquisite tablecloth you never use, because you envision using it at a fancy dinner party for your friends in the future. You may hold on to an antique easel because someday you envision yourself taking up painting. Keeping a few items like these is a great idea for reminding you of your goals. But if those goals have become unrealistic and are now just nagging you and reminding you about stale aspirations, they need to go and make room for other more relevant items.
Loved items that are BEAUTIFUL: We may love objects because they bring beauty and enjoyment into our lives. Art and other creative items like books are very important to inspire us and make us feel good in our spaces. The famous quote by William Morris says, "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful." So, if it's beautiful to you, are you displaying it? If not, why? Again, if you have so much that it's affecting your ability to function, you need to pare it down. Remember, form follows function! |
| Refer a Senior for a $500 MBF Credit |
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MBF owners and founders, Kathy and Stuart Dupuy, have opened The Collinfield House, their first of two assisted living residential care homes in North Austin. The homes will house 13 seniors and provide round the clock caregivers, meals, entertainment, and unparalleled personal service. Current baby boomers are not content to transition into traditional nursing homes, thus the emergence of this new trend that incorporates the benefits of a large facility but the feeling of an intimate home setting. Assisted Living in Austin is a member of the following organizations: TORCH, TALA and ALPCN. If you refer someone who becomes a resident of Collinfield, Mom's Best Friend will give you a $500 credit towards agency fees. To learn more, visit www.assistedlivinginaustin.com or inquire about openings with Kathy Dupuy at kathy@assistedlivinginaustin.com. |
| MBF Superstars |
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Featured Austin Long-term Nanny: Rebecca C.
 With years of experience as a teacher, Rebecca brings a lot of educational focused activities to her nanny work. Rebecca has her teaching certificate and for three years, she taught in Hawaii as a reading coordinator and academic coach for two K-8 public schools. She was also a 3rd grade teacher in Hawaii where she taught curriculum for 6 different subjects, for 36 students. Most recently, Rebecca has been a substitute teacher at Austin ISD. All of Rebecca's teaching experience and educational background will be a huge plus to any family who hires her. She also has nanny experience and has done a lot of temporary nanny work for various families working with children of all ages. One family she nannied for said of her, "Rebecca is easy going but firm when needed, a wonderful cook for kids. She makes sure the kids enjoy themselves. She cleans up after herself and makes sure the kids clean up after projects. The kids miss her."
Featured Austin Temporary Nanny: Karen A.
Karen has been a nanny with Mom's Best Friend since 2007. She graduated from UTSA in 2008 with her BS in Biology and spent a semester travelling the Yucatan. Karen has experience as a full time nanny for a family in Houston as well as teaching experience at Stepping Stone School for infants to 4 year olds. Currently Karen is living in Austin where she grew up and enjoying her newly adopted beagle named Annie. Karen works with many of our families on the temporary side and is highly requested! |
| What Clients are Saying |
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"Your caregiver was wonderful! She approached my child right away talking to him and interacting. She was very nice and asked all the right questions that made me confident that she knows what she is doing. She left written feedback about how they spent their time together. This was delightful to see, and it showed me she cared about spending time with my son for the few hours she was with him. She was great! I highly recommend her to anyone! I will definitely ask for her next time I need a sitter! Mom's Best Friend is a great and trustworthy service!" -Alicia Kelly, Sitter Client |
| Serving the Community |
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In February, both Mom's Best Friend Houston and Dallas partnered with Heroes for Children for their Valentine's "Date night." (Heroes for Children provides financial and social assistance to Texas families with children battling cancer) A number of caregivers volunteered their time to watch the children of many families so their parents could enjoy a special date night.
The experience was truly rewarding to the nannies and families. One caregiver, Stephanie LeRoux commented "It's my pleasure to give back, especially to a cause so near and dear to my heart! It meant a lot to me to get a chance to spend time with these kids. They are so brave! I had a wonderful time last night so thank YOU for the opportunity!"
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