Finding reliable childcare is a growing challenge for parents everywhere. But if your child has any range of additional needs, that challenge can become exponentially greater, without a lot of places to turn to to provide such a service — or any at all, for that matter.

Tiesha Sinouthasy, a Salve Regina graduate and East Providence resident for over a decade, saw that glaring need in the childcare market and decided to do something about it. She started Peace of Mind Nannies in January of 2020, becoming the only child placement agency in Rhode Island that specializes in connecting parents with caregivers for their children and young adults up to age 21 with autism or other special needs.

The goal was to provide three different caregiving options, including permanent nanny services, regular babysitting services, and event-specific child care services for sporadic situations where childcare is needed, such as weddings, business events, or impromptu emergencies.

Of course, nobody who started a business in January of 2020 knew what was in store for that first year.

“We had just opened and just launched on January 6 and we didn’t even have any clients yet when Covid happened. I shut down everything completely,” Sinouthasy said. “I shut everything down to really get a handle on the research. We’re talking about working with kids, and kids with disabilities specifically who were especially vulnerable.”

Sinouthasy, who also sits on the East Providence Affirmative Action Committee since 2021, said that eventually, she saw signs that parents were opening up their homes again to childcare options as they headed back to work. And business has picked up significantly in the years since.

“We’re coming up on our fifth year of operation in January,” she said. “In Rhode Island we have a team of 35 on our roster.” She said they have served over 75 families in their time since opening, with babysitting services increasing by 72% and nannying services increasing by 60% from 2022 to 2023.

And the word has spread to Massachusetts now. Peace of Mind Nannies recently announced they would expand their operations to include work in The Bay State. They have around 10 new caregivers already set up to work in the state. Despite its larger size, Sinouthasy said that just as she had found in Rhode Island, Massachusetts had a gap in the care network for those with special needs.

“Personally, I am from Massachusetts so it’s always been a goal of mine to operate in Massachuetts,” she said of the expansion. “Also there are several nanny agencies in Massachusetts, mostly in the Boston area, but surprisingly none that specialize or really support neuro-diverse children. That was surprising for me to find out in doing research on the landscape of Massachusetts. The response has been very positive.”

Individualized care
With a degree in social work, and having spent many years as a babysitter, nanny, and respite worker during her earlier career, Sinouthasy said that they strive to treat each individual situation based on the unique needs of the family and the child in need of services.

“Some of the skills involved — certainly patience. Really my approach, my background is in social work, so what I educate and instill in our caregivers at the core is just to meet the child where they are,” she said. “To really patiently observe what their interests are and what they enjoy doing and tailoring how you’re building a relationship with that child based on those interests and observations.”

The process begins with a call or email from a prospective parent, informing Peace of Mind about the individual needs of a child. They will then fill out a questionnaire and the agency will conduct a home visit to get more information and be able to assess the specific needs and pair the family up with the right caregiver.

Caregivers undergo extensive screening including an application process, interviews, reference checks, online and social media screening and an annual background check. The background check consists of a national criminal background, sex offender registry, motor vehicle and a Massachusetts Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) check.

“I want to ensure that we have the highest-quality caregivers that are going to be the best fit for the child,” Sinouthasy said. “They have to have a background working with those with disabilities…and have that skillset of working with people with disabilities.”

The turnover for specialized caregivers is also less of an issue than in the traditional childcare industry, she said, as Peace of Mind Nannies is able to pay their service providers $25 an hour or more, which can be nearly double what caregivers earn in other states and locally.

While the service is currently only available through private payments, Sinouthasy said it was her hope to become a vendor available through health insurance companies, and hopefully through the Rhode Island Department of Human Services so they could serve clients who rely on Medicaid.

And while the need and demand for their services has been demonstrated, Sinouthasy said that the results since she has started the company have been rewarding. She spoke of one client who utilizes their babysitting services. The caregiver has been able to build enough trust over time with the child to give some more freedom to the mother.

“She now feels comfortable leaving the house for an hour or so,” Sinouthasy said. “She’s been able to get that peace of mind and that time back.”

For more information, visit PeaceOfMindNannies.com or call 401-237-7038.