Nannies on the Rise

Graduates of the We Rise Nanny Training at the Carroll Gardens Nanny Association

There are over 200,000 domestic workers in New York City. Often working in isolation, these workers have historically faced forced overtime, wage theft, discrimination, and sexual harassment. As New York leaders look to implement universal child care, local organizations are showing how training programs can prepare new and veteran child care workers to provide professional care and protect their own rights.

The Carroll Gardens Nanny Association (CGNA), an initiative of the Carroll Gardens Association, brings together nannies, house cleaners, and home care attendants for mutual support and to raise standards for all domestic workers.

CGNA has prepared nannies to exercise their rights under the 2010 Domestic Workers Bill of Rights, while also helping them succeed in their careers, through the We Rise Nanny Training. This program was developed with Cornell University’s Worker Institute and is supported through funding from CWE.

Graduates develop an understanding of negotiation, community organizing, workers' rights, and how to prevent sexual harassment. They develop expertise in child nutrition, social and emotional development, basic healthcare, and CPR and first aid.

“I’ve been a nanny for 25 years, most of the time in Brooklyn,” says Concepción, who graduated last year. “I like to update my skills to have the opportunity to be better at my job. All of us have the right to learn and we have the right to know our rights.” 

Nannies who go through the program can become trainers themselves. The peer training model allows CGNA to reach hundreds of domestic workers and develop new leaders among its membership.

Upon successful completion of the course, graduates receive a certificate from Cornell University that they can use to negotiate increased compensation. Cornell researchers found that the specific design of the We Rise Nanny Training – integrating workforce development with training in workers’ rights and negotiation, delivered through a peer and popular education approach – has been a potent strategy for bringing nannies into the movement for domestic workers’ rights.

“We help each other,” says Gaby Guzman, an instructor for the program. “The important thing is knowing what your strength is and bringing it to the community. Even though I’m the teacher, I’m going to learn because your examples will open our eyes to things that I probably haven’t experienced. It’s a beautiful program.”

The next We Rise Nanny Training starts September 6th. Sign up here.