About Us

Nannies From The Heart is Austin’s most personalized nanny agency. Our goal: To give you peace of mind.

We believe that choosing a caregiver for your children is a very important decision and that it is critical to find just the right person that matches and complements your child’s personality, as well as your family’s. We can provide this peace of mind for you because we are nanny experts and we find and screen only the very best caregivers.

We also realize that the relationship with your placement agency is just as important as the relationship with your nanny. Rebecca D’Amico, who is a mother of two and a former nanny, is the president of our agency. She knows firsthand what it takes to find a highly qualified, loving and nurturing person to care for your children. As the Nannies From The Heart president and placement specialist, she offers a wealth of experience in finding the perfect match for your family.

PURPOSE STATEMENT:

To assist and support families in their journey to find the absolute best caregiver for their child(ren)...Providing the best background checks, customer service and replacement policies in Austin.

OUR GOAL:

To give families and nannies peace of mind by creating the perfect match and ensure that ongoing communication strengthens their bond.

MEET OUR TEAM:

Our agency was established in 1998, and our team brings 16 years of experience to our clients. Our clients benefit from a staff carrying a multitude of real life experiences, such as investigative research, communications, human resources and most importantly, experience as mothers, fathers and professional nannies. We understand the need for caring and professional help.

“While not everyone needs a full time nanny, I am a firm believer that every parent needs time to themselves. I am dedicated to providing quality child care providers to those families….sitters I would entrust my own daughter with!” -- Wendy

Wendy Lipe

Placement Specialist for Sitting

Responsibilities: Fulfill sitting requests for families, churches, hotels and special event child care. I am a people pleaser. My job is about providing a fast,instant sitting solution for parents, leaving them feeling happy and secure that all has been taken care of!

Who am I: A wife and mother of one. I am all about being efficient, fast, detail oriented, happy and positive. I love working for a company of mothers who understand that family is a top priority. As a mother it is easy for me to understand the high standards each parent holds for their child. I strive to meet each and every one of them.

Qualifications: After earning my teaching certificate from Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State), I taught middle school for three years in Round Rock ISD. Not one to idly twiddle my thumbs in my down time, I also took on the challenge of running the school's after school and summer program for two years. Once my daughter came along, I knew I wanted to be home with her and was fortunate enough to continue running the after-school program with her strapped to my back as the unofficial program mascot! When she was just 2 years old, I met Rebecca D'Amico who convinced me that I could handle checking references and coordinating background checks for all nanny candidates. As a mother, I understood the importance of this task and relished the opportunity. I gradually began taking on more tasks with Nannies from the Heart, and am now the official Placement Specialist for all sitting requests. I truly enjoy building relationships with families and nannies, and making it easier for parents to get some much needed time alone!

"Dear Rebecca, We want to thank you for helping us find such an incredible nanny. We don’t know what would have gotten us through the two months of bed rest without your help. Thank you for all of the great personal attention you gave. It meant so much." -- Testimonial from Rhonda

Rebecca D'Amico

President/Placement Specialist

Responsibilities: Interview nannies and family clients to achieve the ultimate match between the two. All my life I have been matching people with people…It is my gift.

Who am I:
As a women entrepreneur, mother of two and wife, I am passionate about helping provide life balance in other women’s lives. While pregnant with my first child, I began a search for a nanny but wanted a more personal touch in the services I received. As a former nanny, and an expecting mother, I felt I could fill a niche in providing caring and thoughtful support. At that time, I approached a local nanny agency owner who was looking for a life change, and before I knew it, I had acquired the agency and began the long process of refining and shaping it into the Nannies from the Heart of today. In the last several years I have discovered that I have a true knack for providing people with the tools to find nurturing care for their little loved ones, and thus, create more balance in their lives. I love to see families smile—and relax a bit—as their visions of the perfect nanny unfold and are realized.

Qualifications: I have always been fascinated watching children and how they learn, and I took child development coursework in college, so I found it natural to work as a nanny. I spent several years off and on working for families, caring for children from infants to elementary school age. Nanny work just clicked with me and I found myself able to quickly connect to the needs of not only the children, but also the parents. During that time, I also served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) and learned a lot about children that weren’t so lucky to have capable and loving parents. Later, I became a Student Special Events Coordinator at Austin Community College, where I worked hand-in-hand with young students in creating club events and worked with them to create a student government. Later, I took my event planning skills and put them to work as a “Commute Solutions Program Developer” at AMD. Commute Solutions programs promoted ridesharing (carpooling and vanpooling) transit and bicycling for employees to find an alternative to driving alone to work every day. My favorite part of the job were the “ZIP Code mixers,” where I helped match potential carpoolers and vanpoolers. After starting Nannies from the Heart, I became involved in several area communities for women entrepreneurs. (See the resources page for a glimpse of many of the women I work and network with.) I find my own strength in working with and learning from many of these powerful moms and business owners. A couple worth noting include the Austin Personal Renewal Groups and Big Fish Nation.

One Nanny writes…“Valerie is a kind and welcoming soul. She shows genuine concern for anyone that crosses her path. She exudes happiness. I have a huge respect for her professionally and even more so personally.”

Valerie Rossman-Ott

Candidate Screening Coordinator

Responsibilities: Nanny recruiting, advertising, reference and background checks. I ensure that our nannies are screened for honesty, safety and nurturing.

Who am I: I have such wonderful memories of my childhood and have held onto them throughout every experience in my life. I feel childhood is such a magical and sacred time….It is the foundation we stand on that helps us to relate to the rest of the world. Because of this, I have always been fascinated with children and the way they play, learn and think. I have realized that to be the best parent for your children, you need to take a break for yourself every now and then. Nannies from the Heart can help parents get that break so they can nurture themselves to be the best they can be for their children! I really love that NH provides parents with a safe, affordable and perfect fit for your family and children. I am very dedicated to ensuring that references and background checks are thorough so that everyone has peace of mind. I love that we can provide an affordable and good fit for each all of our families.

Qualifications: In college, I began my major in art but also found myself really drawn to the early childhood psychology and development courses I took. I ended up majoring in Education and Childhood Development and graduated from UT Austin with honors with a BA in Education. I later went into teaching and thoroughly loved working with every child I encountered. I taught for three years in East Austin Charter Schools before I came to work for Nannies from the Heart. During college and in between teaching jobs I also worked in after school programs, daycares and babysitting.

Jayne Keedy

Director of Replacements and Client Support

Responsibilities: Nanny replacements as well as administrative and client support. I work with both the families and nannies when they need to make changes in their work arrangements. I am the calm ear always listening intently, sometimes lending advice and offering support. It is very satisfying when families and nannies take the steps you suggest to come to a win-win solution. It is equally gratifying when the right nanny replacement comes along and the family expresses sheer joy for my efforts.

Who am I: Once taking life very seriously, I am now more serendipitous. I am proud to be a part of Nannies from the Heart and of my daughter, who certainly has created a dynamic team and agency after stepping in to buy a little agency so long ago. I think we are like a beacon of light to families who are in need of child care. So many parents live hectic lives and need someone to take over the task of finding just what they need to alleviate worry and make their lives easier. I continue to be amazed at the dedication of the women that I work with. We also practice what we “preach.” Nannies from the Heart works to accommodate the needs of staff members and allow them to balance their professional and personal lives. It is, and I am sure will continue to be, a truly reciprocal relationship based on trust and mutual respect. We truly are a team!

Qualifications: My educational background is a hopscotch of studies--English, Fine Arts and Dance, then Advertising and Psychology, then Economics. All except Fine Arts and Dance, were pursued as a “practical matter.” I have 20-plus years experience in advertising, marketing research and publications, including working for ad agencies and publishing companies, then starting my own Information Brokerage when I was 31 and a single mother. That business evolved into a market research firm that had prospered for many years until I made a life change and moved to Austin. As a mother for 37 years and grandmother of 3 (and soon to be 4!), I am well aware of the challenges facing parents today. I liken myself to the giraffe, whose strongest tie is between mother and baby, and who is willing to stick her neck out for something or someone that means a lot to her.

Ashley Proctor

Office Manager

One family writes of Ashley, “Thank you so much again for your patience and assistance! This is a most stressful time for my family on many levels. Your recommendation is exactly what I am going to do. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your sincerity and prompt attention to service and detail.”

Responsibilities: Administrative support to assist all team members, troubleshoot and help all nannies and families in need. I provide information to all prospective and new clients and assist with the process of interviewing nannies.

Who am I:
I am a wife and a daughter. I am a “mother” to two adorable kitties. They are my babies for now. Working with such dynamic, capable women is definitely teaching me a lot about life, work and motherhood.

Qualifications: I attended Blinn Jr. College in College Station for two years, and I have worked in a variety of positions in customer service and office administration.