What to give the nanny about
your child's health — and what
to keep to yourself
You want the nanny to know what matters in an emergency. You don't want to hand over your child's entire medical history. Here's how to draw the line — and how to share the right amount without printing a binder every time something changes.
Every person gets one health story, and one private Family Stork email address every clinic already knows how to use.
- A nanny needs the emergency card: allergies, current medications, the pediatrician's name and number, and what to do in a crisis. That's it.
- She does not need the full health timeline — past diagnoses, specialist notes, therapy records, or family medical history.
- Family Stork lets you invite a helper who sees only what you choose to share. The emergency card is always there. The full timeline stays yours.
What health information does a nanny actually need?
Start from the emergency scenario and work backward. If your child has a reaction, a fall, or a sudden illness while you're not there, the nanny needs exactly five things:
- Known allergies — food, medication, insect stings, environmental. What the reaction looks like. Where the EpiPen is.
- Current medications — name, dose, timing, what happens if a dose is missed.
- Pediatrician's name and phone number — not the general office number buried on a website; the direct number you actually call.
- Insurance card information — or at least a photo of the card.
- What to do in an emergency — call 911, then call you. Which ER to go to if there's a choice.
That's the emergency card. It fits on one page. It should be current — not the version you printed six months ago when the medication was different.
What should stay private?
Everything else. Your nanny is not your child's doctor, and she doesn't need the information a doctor needs. Specifically:
- Full medical history — past illnesses, hospitalizations, surgical records. These are between you, your child, and their doctors.
- Specialist notes — developmental evaluations, therapy progress notes, behavioral health records.
- Family medical history — your health conditions and your partner's are not the nanny's business.
- Genetic or prenatal information — none of this is relevant to daily childcare.
This isn't about trust. A nanny you trust completely still doesn't need records she won't use. Sharing more than necessary creates risk without adding safety.
Is there an app that lets me control exactly what the nanny sees?
Yes. Family Stork's helpers model was built for this. Here's how it works:
- You invite the nanny as a helper on your child's record.
- She sees what you choose to share — the emergency card is always included.
- She does not see the full health timeline, specialist notes, or anything else you haven't shared.
- If you hire a new nanny, you remove the old one's access and invite the new one. Two taps. No reprinting, no awkward "can you shred that binder" conversation.
The emergency card updates automatically. When the pediatrician sends an updated medication list to your child's Family Stork address, the nanny's emergency card reflects the change — without you having to print anything new.
How does the Family Stork helpers model work?
The family owns the record. Helpers are invited guests. The distinction matters:
- Helpers never own or manage the record. They have view access to the parts you share.
- The emergency card is always visible. Allergies, medications, doctor info — the nanny always has what she needs in a crisis.
- Access is revocable. When the nanny leaves, you revoke access. She loses the view. No loose paperwork floating around.
- Multiple helpers are fine. Invite the nanny, the babysitter, and grandma. Each one sees the same emergency card. Nobody needs their own copy.
What if I have a babysitter instead of a full-time nanny?
Same principle, lower stakes. A babysitter who comes once a week still needs the emergency card. She still needs to know about the peanut allergy and where the EpiPen is. She still doesn't need last year's ENT report.
The difference is practicality: the babysitter changes more often than a full-time nanny. With a printed sheet, you're reprinting and re-explaining every time. With Family Stork, you invite the new sitter and revoke the old one's access. The emergency card is always current because it updates from the record — not from your memory of the last time you printed it.
What a babysitter actually needs — the full guide.
What about the camp nurse, the grandparents, the coach?
Every helper relationship has the same shape: they need the emergency card, they don't need the full record.
- Camp nurse — allergies, medications, insurance, authorized contacts. What the camp nurse needs.
- Grandparents — they probably know the allergies, but do they know the current medication dose? The emergency card keeps everyone current. Grandparents and medical records.
- Foster and kinship caregivers — the record often arrives in pieces. Keeping a child's record when it arrives in pieces.
In every case, the family invites. The helper sees only what the family chooses. The emergency card is always there. The full timeline stays with the family.
It's $99 a year — or about $10 a month
Family Stork is free to organize your family's records. The full service — where Family Stork does the work for you — is $99 per year, or about $10 a month if you pay monthly.
For every person in your family. One timeline from birth. One email address every clinic already knows how to use.
FAQ
Does my nanny need her own Family Stork account?
No. You invite the nanny as a helper on your child's record. She accepts the invitation and sees the emergency card and whatever else you choose to share. She does not create her own account or manage the record.
Can I invite multiple helpers for the same child?
Yes. You can invite the nanny, the babysitter, grandma, and anyone else who cares for your child. Each one sees the same emergency card. You control each invitation separately.
What happens if I want to remove the nanny's access?
You revoke her access from the record. She loses the view immediately. No loose paperwork, no printed sheets to collect.
Does a helper see the full health timeline?
No. Helpers see only what you choose to share — the emergency card is always included, but the full timeline, specialist notes, and medical history stay with the family.
Is the emergency card available if there's no internet?
The Family Health Passport is printable — take it on trips, keep a copy in the diaper bag, tape one to the fridge. It works anywhere, internet or not.