A nanny share is one nanny caring for children from two families at the same time, with the families splitting the nanny's pay. It lands between a solo nanny and daycare on cost, keeps care in a home setting, and gives each child a very small group. The structure rests on one caregiver and one partner family.
Sources used: the IRS, Publication 926 Household Employer's Tax Guide 2025 (cash-wage threshold and household-employer rules); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics for childcare workers 2024 (wage context); NAEYC (the National Association for the Education of Young Children), small-group and caregiver-continuity guidance 2024; the federal Office of Child Care (ACF) on license-exempt in-home care 2024.
How does a nanny share work?
In a nanny share, two families hire one nanny to care for their children together, usually in one of the two homes. The families agree on hours, pay, location, and house rules, then split the nanny's wage between them. Each child still gets close, near one-to-one attention compared with a center, while each family pays roughly two-thirds or less of a private nanny's full cost. The arrangement runs on a written agreement.
- Shared nanny
- One caregiver employed by both families at once, caring for both sets of children together.
- Cost split
- The combined hourly rate the families agree on, divided between them, often weighted by number of children.
- Host home
- The home where care happens; families may rotate or pick one and adjust the split to compensate.
- Share agreement
- A written contract covering pay, hours, taxes, sick days, holidays, and what happens if one family leaves.
What does a nanny share cost?
A nanny share usually costs each family more than half of a solo nanny's rate but clearly less than the full rate, often putting it near or just above daycare. Nanny pay follows local wages, which BLS tracks for childcare workers in its 2024 wage data, so exact numbers vary widely by metro. Families typically set one combined hourly rate, then divide it, commonly somewhere between a 50-50 and 60-40 split when one family has more children.
| Factor | Nanny share | Solo nanny | Daycare center |
|---|
| Cost per family | Split of one wage | Full wage | Set tuition |
| Group size | Two families' children | One family's children | Larger classroom |
| Setting | A family home | Your home | Licensed facility |
| Backup if caregiver is sick | None built in | None built in | Staffed by the center |
Source: BLS childcare worker wage data 2024; IRS Publication 926 (2025) for employer-tax context.
Who is a nanny share best for?
A nanny share suits families who want home-based, small-group care and flexible hours at a price closer to daycare than to a private nanny. It works best when the two families align on schedule, parenting style, and sick-child rules, and when they like each other. Families who need guaranteed backup coverage, licensing oversight, or a larger peer group for their child may prefer a center.
Honest tradeoff. A nanny share has a single point of failure. If the nanny is sick or quits, or if the other family moves or drops out, your coverage can vanish overnight with no backup staff to fill in. Unlike a licensed center, a private share is not inspected by the state. A clear written agreement and an honest partner family are what keep it stable.
How do I set up a nanny share?
Start by matching with a compatible family on schedule, location, and values, then interview nannies together. Put everything in writing: combined rate and split, hours, host home, supplies, sick and holiday policy, taxes, and an exit clause. Treat pay correctly: each family may be a household employer under IRS rules, with tax duties above the IRS cash-wage threshold, so many shares use a payroll service. Confirm current thresholds with the IRS.
A share is one of several ways to lower the cost of care. Compare it with a co-op daycare and an au pair, and weigh the bigger choice in our daycare vs nanny vs preschool pillar. To compare real numbers, use our cost calculator.