“Fueled by a personal passion, shaped by first-hand experience and guided by uncompromising standards, Brawley & Associates is a different kind of company.  I invite you to experience the difference for yourself.”   ~ Lora Brawley

 

Lora Brawley’s Professional Bio

For those seeking expert assistance in the recruitment, screening and retention of quality in-home caregivers and the creation of successful nanny / family relationships, Lora Brawley offers a wealth of experience and expertise.  During her 18 years in the nanny industry, she’s earned a reputation for providing a unique blend of common-sense strategies and intuitive guidance to the nannies and parents she works with.  

Ms. Brawley has developed a variety of exclusive tools to help caregivers and families find the right job / nanny match.  Among those, her Ready, Set, You’re Hired! job prep intensive helps nannies accurately assess a family’s needs and evaluate their ability to successfully meet those needs.  Her Smart Hire program helps parents explore the six discussion areas that are crucial to finding the right nanny for their family.  And her popular A to Z Nanny Contract guides caregivers and parents through the ins and outs of a developing and maintaining a successful employment relationship. 

Throughout her diverse career within the nanny industry, Ms. Brawley has been a sought after expert on a variety of in-home care topics.  She’s been a guest on Rolanda, Sally Jessie Raphael, The Geraldo Show, Dateline and more recently, an expert on CNN fn as well as a resource for CHILD magazine and the British journal, The Professional Nanny.  She has also been a speaker at various local nanny organizations, the International Nanny Association’s annual conference, the National Association for Nanny Care’s annual conference, and for five consecutive years, the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s annual conference. 

Community service is also an important part of Ms. Brawley’s professional life.  From the time she began working as a nanny, Ms. Brawley has served as a leader within several of the  organizations that serve the nanny profession.  Her commitment to bringing across-the-board standards to the in-home care industry led her to found NANC, the National Association for Nanny Care.  She currently serves as President of NANC and is one of the primary architects of the NANC three tier nanny credential.  She has also forged alliances with organizations in the larger childcare industry to help demystify the role of a nanny and encourage a greater understanding of what defines quality in-home care.   

 

My Nanny Journey, note from Lora Brawley

I’d like to take a minute and introduce you to the person behind Brawley & Associates.  My career in the nanny industry began in 1989 when I moved from the Midwest to become a live-in nanny in the Philadelphia area.  Being a nanny was both everything I thought it would be and nothing I thought it would be.  The relationship I developed with Drew, my charge, was simply joyful. Spending my days with him taught me about what really  mattered.  But being a live-in nanny brought with it many issues that were difficult to deal with.  Small things like not being able to have breakfast in my pajamas and fitting my 5 room apartment into a single bedroom.  Bigger things like being isolated for much of the day and living in a new city with no friends, no co-workers and no support system.  I knew that if I were facing these challenges, others must be too.  I looked to the industry for support but found none so I brought nannies together to support each other.  Through the Delaware Valley Professional Nanny Association and later Garden State Nannies,  I worked side by side with hundreds of nannies.  Together we addressed many issues – the risk unqualified caregivers pose to children, the frustration of looking for a job using an often fragmented and ineffective system, the difficulty of maintaining a quality nanny / family relationship.  It was a wonderful opportunity to contribute as an individual caregiver and as part of a greater force.       

 

Moving from nanny and organization leader to business owner was a natural transition for me.  I was frustrated by working in an industry that was growing by leaps and bounds but operating within a system that hadn’t changed in decades.  I was disheartened by the many business owners that gave lip service to the idea of quality care but continued to accept lower standards in exchange for greater profit margins.  At the same time, I was energized by the continued commitment and enthusiasm of quality caregivers devoted to the children they cared for.  And I was excited by the possibility of redefining “business as usual” in a industry where businesses directly effect the lives of children.  Bringing new standards and services to the nanny industry became my passion.  Brawley & Associates is a that passion come to life. 

 

As you browse this website, you may notice that I speak to you from two different perspectives.  “I”, the individual behind the day to day happenings of Brawley & Associates and “we”, one voice of many.  Both accurately represent this company because the attitudes that shape it and the beliefs that fuel it not only come from my experiences but from the countless other caregivers, parents and agency owners that I’ve worked with over the years. 

 

Organization Affiliates

Brawley and Associates feels it’s important to develop relationships with nanny and child-related organizations.  They provide us with a variety of wonderful resources and connect us to the larger childcare community.  We’re proud to be a part of the organizations listed below.  

 

NANC ~ National Association for Nanny Care

NAEYC ~ National Association for the Education of Young Children

WAEYC ~ Washington Association for the Education of Young Children