College Nannies + Tutors Celebrates Grand Opening Saturday

Summit couple Sharon French and Terry Haggerty will celebrate the grand opening of their new business College Nannies + Tutors from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday at 458 Springfield Ave. in Summit.

French said from the time their two teenage children were infants, the couple always had a nanny or babysitter.

"We lived in San Francisco at the time our children were born and my husband would be in London traveling for work and I would be in New York City and we had a live-in nanny," French explained. "As the kids got older and our careers changed, our needs evolved and that's something we really understand."

French said the family's personal experience in selecting caretakers, whether they be live-in, live-out, full-time, or part-time, makes them well-suited to open this business. 

"We understand the challenges of finding the right person and the fear that goes along with that," she said. 

Offering a wide array of childcare options, from full-time live-in to part-time live-out and even on-call, College Nannies + Tutors serves Summit and surrounding towns. 

French explained that the company offers a premium service and completes criminal background checks, both felony and misdemeanor, drug testing, drivers license checks, reference screenings and three in-person interviews as part of the hiring process. All caregivers must be 18 or older and are paid "on the books" and insured, French said. If a nanny or babysitter is injured in the family's home, it will be covered by workman's compensation, she added. 

"We do one hundred percent of the work for you to find the right person to be with your most prized possession. We have an amazing woman, Maria, serving as our Nanny Placement Manager. She has a degree in psychology. When people meet her, we get calls asking, 'Can I have her?'" French said. 

Wishing to serve children from "the cradle to college," the company offers tutoring for children in middle and high school. 

French said so far science and math tutors have been most in-demand, but English and Spanish tutors are available as well. Honors, advanced placement, ACT- and SAT-prep tutors can be hired too. 

Tutors may be Ivy League graduates, while others are teachers with masters degrees. Some are college students, which French said parents often request because they believe their child will find them more relatable. 

French explained that fees are determined by the details of placement, full-time versus part-time et cetera, and the caregiver or tutor's skillset and experience.

"We're very excited about this business because, for us it's personal, it's something we know so well," French said. 

In honor of Saturday's grand opening, the Hoboken-famous Taco Truck will be serving up free tacos to those who stop by.

For more information, call 908-418-3302 or email: summitnj@collegenannies.com