Case Study: Unvetted Nanny, Hidden Risk
Each case study reflects the kind of work we do behind the scenes, when a trusted advisor sees something slipping or when a household needs to reset after going too long without structure.
A family had relied on the same nanny for years. She was hired through friends: no formal vetting, no background checks, just trust. She was quiet, dependable, and had become part of the household.
Over time, the parents started noticing gaps. The kids mentioned being dropped off at her house during the day. Eventually, the family discovered she had been leaving the children with her husband while she worked another job. He had a violent criminal history and was later found to be abusing them.
Their most trusted advisor called us directly.
Because the exposure was clear, we didn’t start with a diagnostic. We moved straight into a Protective Architecture engagement to rebuild structure around people and roles.
We started by mapping what “secure and sustainable” would actually look like for this family. That included running a feasibility study on adding a secured driver. It wasn’t just about logistics. It was about creating healthy redundancy. A nanny watching the driver. A driver watching the nanny. Layers of awareness instead of blind trust.
From there, we outlined the attributes of the ideal candidates: temperament, experience, cultural fit, and lifestyle compatibility. We led a full search. We don’t outsource staffing and we don’t use placement agencies. We hand-selected every candidate and ran full-spectrum vetting on the top choices.
That vetting included:
Civil, criminal, and financial background checks
Screening of close personal associates like spouses or live-in partners
Reference checks with past employers, neighbors, and longtime friends
It might seem like overkill. But not for this family. Not after what happened. And for anyone giving this level of access to their children and home, this should be standard.
We did the same for the driver.
We also provided light training to both new hires. Not formal coursework. Just calm, clear guidance on what to pay attention to. Subtle cues in the children’s behavior or routines that might signal something off. Especially with the oldest child entering a new phase of independence through extracurriculars and time with friends, we helped build awareness of what might warrant a quiet heads-up to the parents. Not to monitor, but to notice.
Once the family made their hires, we stayed involved through onboarding and integration. Not just paperwork. Real-world adjustments, aligned expectations, and support as the new routines settled in. We stayed on for 90 days to make sure it was working.
The result: calm. The family got their rhythm back. The household ran smoothly. And they were no longer guessing who was around their kids or what they might be missing.
