Know Your Neighbor: Lisa DeRienzo, ASmartNanny.com

Two years ago when Lisa DeRienzo launched her business, ASmartNanny.com, she had no idea how successful it might become.

Armed with the desire to help young college educated women find meaningful work, DeRienzo has since expanded her service to include 100 nannies, proof of the continued high demand for quality childcare and that there are plenty of well-qualified nannies to meet that demand.

Much of her success is due to social media efforts and being able to reach a wide audience of Westchester families, including Facebook groups and using Twitter and LinkedIn.

The online agency caters to families across Westchester, offering nannies on a part-time, full-time and as-needed basis. DeRienzo has also added qualified tutors to that list, providing specialists in a variety of academic subjects for K-12 students.

Always looking to enhance her business and remain competitive against national online nanny services, DeRienzo decided to offer a “smart sitter” membership service to her clients.

“It’s kind of like a gym membership,” said DeRienzo, 31, an Ossining resident who is a New York State certified teacher with 10 years of classroom experience. “Families can pay a monthly fee, a semiannual fee or an annual fee.”

Members can book a sitter in advance via the Book a Sitter page on her company’s website or e-mail her directly at any time. DeRienzo said members have access to an unlimited amount of sitters, and they also have the option of requesting their favorite sitter.

For young women interested in a rewarding career with children, whether it be full-time or part-time, DeRienzo said the process is fairly simple. Many work part-time, a suitable option for prospective nannies who are still attending college or for others who are looking for a second job.

All candidates must apply via her website and provide her with two references.

DeRienzo runs extensive local and national background checks and also conducts reference checks on every candidate. Once she completes that process, DeRienzo said she provides families with two to three suitable candidates.

“All of my girls, and occasionally boys, are good,” said DeRienzo, referring to the requirements for all applicants. All nannies must be college educated and have previous experience with children. Most are either teachers or nurses and all live in the county.

“Families usually hire the first, if not the second, person I send them,” she said.

DeRienzo, a lifelong Westchester resident, holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Pace and a master’s in childhood education from Mercy College. She said she can often determine if a candidate is the right fit by reading their letters of introduction.

Once a family is happy with the prospective nanny, DeRienzo sends them a detailed list of questions focused on that family’s needs, such as the number of children in the household, gender, age and whether they have any health-related issues. DeRienzo also determines the duties that will be expected of the nanny.

“Most of the parents I work with are great,” she said. “They just want to hire someone who will pay attention to their kids, help with homework and engage them.”

DeRienzo’s dream is to eventually offer her services to families on the West Coast. In addition to her clients throughout Westchester, DeRienzo is now working with families in Fairfield County, Conn., so further expansion of her business may be looming, she said.

“Many of the moms I’ve spoken to here in Westchester have had horrible experiences with other agencies,” DeRienzo said. “With A Smart Nanny, they get the personal touch and the added bonus of dealing directly with me.”

To find out more about what the service offers, visit www.asmartnanny.com or e-mail DeRienzo at lisa@asmartnanny.com.