Founder-led
Small by design.
Ayla & Storm deliberately limits the number of active searches it conducts at one time. Fewer searches means each one is conducted discreetly, personally and properly.
The people who understand your household remain involved in defining the role, speaking with professionals, assessing the fit and explaining every introduction. There is no hand-off from an initial senior conversation to an unfamiliar junior recruiter.
Boutique, to us, means direct access, accountable judgement and the freedom to tell a family when the role itself should change before the search continues.
Discretion
Who knows your business, and when.
Professionals hear about the role before they hear about the household. Your name and details are shared only after we have assessed a candidate ourselves and you have agreed to an introduction.
Every professional signs a confidentiality agreement before the first conversation. We verify identity, confirm the qualifications the role depends on and speak with previous employers ourselves. Nothing is forwarded for you to chase.
We do not post your role publicly, and we do not share your brief beyond the professionals we are actively considering. Fewer active searches means fewer people who know about yours.
What we promise
A personal search, conducted with structure.
The right appointment, defined first
We diagnose the actual need before advertising or approaching professionals, so the search begins with a clear and realistic brief.
Introductions with context
Every professional is personally assessed. When we introduce someone, you receive their profile, a role-specific video in their own words and our written explanation of why we believe the fit is worth exploring.
A process that works around your schedule
Your household information, search requirements, candidate matches, notes, documents and next steps remain together in one private portal. We are always available to speak, but you do not need another meeting simply to know where the search stands.
“Excellent service. They went the extra mile to understand my needs and were intentional about finding the most suitable candidates. Great at communication throughout.”
Working together
The placement process.
- What we place
- Nannies, nanny–family assistants, governesses and educational nannies, family assistants, household managers, and maternity nurses or newborn care specialists.
- Where we work
- Canada and the United States, with the ability to assist international searches.
- How a search runs
- A private consultation, then a household brief, then a shortlist of personally assessed professionals — reviewed with you in one private place.
- How fees are structured
- An initiation fee to open the search, then a placement fee calculated as a percentage of the professional's annual salary or placement period. Both are confirmed in writing before anything begins.
Replacement guarantee
Ninety days, guaranteed.
Each placement comes with a replacement guarantee. If the appointment does not work out within the first ninety days, we conduct a new search for the role at no additional placement fee.
Qualifying permanent placements, subject to the terms of the client agreement.
Where to begin
You do not need to know exactly whom to hire.
Many families begin with a simpler thought: we need more capable support, but we are not certain what the role should be.
We begin with what is currently difficult, what is taking too much time and what should feel different when the right person starts. From there, we define the appointment, clarify responsibilities and build the Household Hiring Brief for you.
That may lead to a nanny, a nanny–family assistant, a governess, a family assistant or a household manager. The title follows the reality of the household — not the other way around.
Founder note
Why I built Ayla & Storm.
I own and operate Sitters Co., a childcare agency serving families in South Africa and Canada. Over two years we have grown to ten to twelve placements a month, and in that time I have learned what separates a hire that lasts from one that unravels within the year.
When I hired a nanny for my own daughter, I saw the process from the other side. We found someone wonderful, but the search itself felt transactional for a decision that personal — and I knew from experience how much better it could be run.
Ayla & Storm is that better version: a smaller, more personal private-staffing practice with clearer guidance, more honest judgement and people who genuinely understand the home they are hiring into.
— Janneke Storm, Founder
Private client portal
Your search, organised in one private place.
Private household hiring can involve multiple decision-makers, changing schedules and long email chains. Your Ayla & Storm portal keeps the household brief, search requirements, candidate matches, feedback, interview availability, documents and updates together.
When you have ten minutes between meetings and want to know what is happening, the information is there. When you would rather speak, Janneke or Courtney remains available by telephone or video.
The portal does not replace personal service. It removes unnecessary diary burden.
Introductions
Meet the person — and understand why we selected them.
From the full search pool, you receive a considered few whom we believe merit a conversation.
Each introduction includes the professional’s role-specific video, our written assessment of the fit and access to the full candidate profile. You can add feedback, share interview availability and move the search forward without reconstructing another email chain.
A résumé explains what someone has done. The introduction helps you understand how they communicate — and why Ayla & Storm believes the conversation is worth having.
The search
How the search works.
- 01
Private consultation
We discuss the household as it works today, what is creating pressure and what successful support should change.
- 02
Household Hiring Brief
We define the role, responsibilities, schedule, working environment, decision process and the qualities most likely to create a durable fit.
- 03
Search and assessment
We search beyond a single database, speak with suitable professionals and assess experience, judgement, communication, references and role-specific requirements.
- 04
Considered introductions
A small number of professionals are introduced with their profiles, role-specific videos and our reasoning.
- 05
Interviews and decision
Submit availability through the portal or speak with us directly. We coordinate interviews, gather feedback and guide the decision.
- 06
Offer and settling in
We support the offer, expectations, documentation and the transition into the household.
Appointments
Private household appointments, defined around the home.
Nannies and governesses
From developmental and educational care to experienced career nannies and travelling roles.
Nanny–family assistants
Childcare-led appointments with clearly defined family and household support.
Family assistants
Family logistics, calendars, errands, household administration and practical support.
Household managers
Oversight of household operations, suppliers, schedules, staff and standards.
Newborn professionals
Specialist support during the earliest months, including newborn care specialists and maternity nurses where appropriate.
Other principal-facing appointments
Conducted selectively where the role falls within our expertise and network.
Representatives
Hiring on behalf of a private household?
Ayla & Storm works directly with PAs, EAs, household managers and family-office representatives as well as principals.
We establish who needs to be involved, adapt communication to the principal’s preferences and keep the agreed information in one place. You do not need to attend every conversation to remain close to every decision.
We conduct the early conversations, consolidate the context and coordinate next steps — without creating another stream of administration for the person already managing the household.
Nanny, Family Assistant or Household Manager?
The title is often the least useful part of the brief. The better question is what the household needs to become easier.
How to Hire a Nanny for a Private Household
The searches that hold up over years tend to slow down at exactly the points where the fast ones rush through.
What Should a Private Nanny Agency Actually Do?
A strong agency does more than send CVs. It defines the role, protects privacy, searches deliberately and helps the family make a better decision.
Invitation
Book a private consultation with Janneke.
No fee, no obligation, and you do not need to know the role yet.
Direct