Progressive childcare agency finds the perfect match for families

Finding experienced, reliable childcare in Prague is no easy task. Just ask any parent. For those who have specific requirements – late nights, early mornings, light housekeeping, meal prep – the search, no doubt, becomes a little more difficult.  

But what if you want a male nanny who will kick a ball with your 8-year-old a few afternoons each week or an active senior willing to replace the traditional grandparent role in your child’s life? 

How about a Montessori-trained nanny or one with a nursing background specialized in lactation support or getting kids to sleep through the night? Do you need someone with prior experience watching a neurodivergent child or a Mensa-certified nanny who can help guide your little one? Maybe you’re looking for a unicorn – a caregiver who speaks Portuguese, Spanish, French, or even Swahili. 

Mission impossible? Not at all. 

Best Nanny will make it happen. This progressive nanny agency has tailored its successful business model around a simple premise – making the impossible possible. Since launching in Prague last year, the agency has helped pair dozens of families with nannies and childcare providers that specifically meet every detail on their wish list – or get close.

“Why Best Nanny? They take it more seriously than other nanny services on the market. It’s as simple as that,” says Mike, a father of two small children who turned to the agency after he and his wife failed to find the right match on their own.     

They tried other agencies. They explored the possibility of finding one through social media groups or friend referrals, but none clicked until they approached Best Nanny with their list of primary and secondary nanny requirements.    

“I think it turned out to be in everyone’s best interest because they knew exactly what we wanted and did a fantastic job of getting as close as anyone could expect to meet the key requirements,” Mike says. “I think the nanny we have now is probably our fourth or so, and this one is by far the best we’ve had.” 

“What we are trying to do here is to deliver the family a new member. We want the nannies to feel like they are part of the families we pair them with and vice versa,” says Michaela Stránská, the executive director of Best Nanny Prague. “Your children’s safety and happiness are our main priorities.”

The idea of hiring a nanny is still an evolving concept in a country that has long pigeonholed women into the role of primary caregiver and household taskmaster. 

“You are expected to be Super Mom,” says Michaela. “You need to earn a lot of money, be professional, beautiful, take care of your children, kick a ball with your boys, make dinner, and not feel tired. After all, your mom did it all on her own without any help or a washing machine or dishwasher, so why can’t you?”

But times are changing. More women are choosing to reenter the workforce when their children are small, and there has been a growing demand for childcare services across the Czech Republic, paving the way for agencies like Best Nanny to help shape this niche market.

“There is no shame in asking for help,” says Petra Reháková Ficová, a founder of Best Nanny, noting that the agency’s motto is #Helpisnotataboo in a nod to the country’s deeply held conservative views on outside childcare services.    

You might need full-time help to return to your 9-to-5 job, or you may need a mental break to read a book, lunch with friends, or take a shower. Best Nanny understands this and offers full-time and part-time nannies for as little as EUR 10 an hour – a price comparable to standard child-care rates in Prague.  

The agency cooperates with a broad range of Czech and expat families – from happily married and co-parenting holdholds to single mothers and everything in between. The Best Nanny team has worked with diplomats, social media influencers, and many members of the LGBTQ community, who all bring their own unique set of requirements and expectations to the table.      

“We try to tick as many boxes as possible,” says Michaela. “We sit down with families to get a good understanding of what they need in their nannies. We need to match the requirements the client has put down on a piece of paper and match their personalities with potential nannies.” 

Nannies are thoroughly vetted before they are introduced to the family, first at the Best Nanny office along the riverfront in Staré Město and then, if both sides agree, at the family home during a trial date. The hope, explains Zuzana Augustin Poláčková, another co-owner of Best Nanny, is to establish a long-term partnership between the nannies and families. 

The process generally takes a few weeks, though the Best Nanny team has been known to successfully place a nanny with a family within just a few days. But for that to happen, says Michaela, everything has to align perfectly, with the family’s requirements fitting seamlessly with one of the nannies the agency has waiting for a placement.  

At the center of Best Nanny’s story is Samanta Lima, now a co-founder of the agency and a native of Brazil whose travels brought her to Bratislava six years ago. She was looking for a job as a nanny and serendipitously met Petra, a Slovak entrepreneur and photographer, who hired Lima to care for her children and teach them Spanish. 

The setup drew the attention of other local families, who were impressed by the children’s bilingual skills. Both ladies were repeatedly asked for help finding nannies, which eventually led to them opening their own agency. 

Over the last two years, Best Nanny has seen rapid expansion. In addition to Prague and its Bratislava headquarters, the company opened two branches in Latin America to be closer to the source of great profiled nannies.  

Reflecting on their journey to this point, Samanta says she wouldn’t change a thing.  

“I love Petra’s children. I felt like they are part of my family, and I am part of their family, and it’s beautiful,” she says. “This is exactly the relationship we want to establish when matching nannies with families.”