Deb’s Domestic Agency is a referral and placement agency, not the employer of candidates placed in private households. DDA therefore does not provide employer insurance or bonding for long-term candidates. Insurance, bonding, workers’ compensation, and other coverage needs vary by household, role, and jurisdiction. Clients and candidates should confirm the coverage that applies to their circumstances with qualified insurance, payroll, tax, or legal advisers.
DDA develops candidates through professional referrals, direct recruiting, and applications from experienced private-service professionals. Each search is shaped around the household’s actual role, location, schedule, reporting relationships, privacy requirements, compensation, and working style. DDA presents selected candidates whose experience and fit appear relevant to the approved search; it is not an open résumé pool.
We have a wide range of ages, from mid-twenties to forties and up.
The non-refundable client registration, searching, and screening fee is $175. It provides one year of access to DDA placement services. DDA conducts a selective, role-specific search and presents candidates whose experience and fit appear relevant; registration does not provide access to an open candidate database or guarantee a placement. See Placement Fees for current fee information.
Begin by completing DDA’s secure Household Staff Request Form. DDA will review the role, location, schedule, reporting relationships, compensation, and household priorities before confirming next steps. Office hours are Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Central Time.
DDA is based in Austin, Texas, and conducts long-term private household and estate staffing searches nationwide. Select international searches may be considered case by case when the role, location, and working arrangements are a responsible fit for DDA’s services.
DDA does not rent client or candidate information. Information may be used or shared on a limited, permission-based basis when reasonably necessary to provide placement services, coordinate authorized screening or references, comply with law, or protect the parties involved. DDA handles private-household information with discretion and limits disclosure to the purpose for which it was provided.
An office visit is not required to begin. Prospective clients can submit DDA’s secure Household Staff Request Form. DDA then determines an appropriate consultation format based on the role, household needs, location, and working arrangements.
There is no fixed search length. Timing varies with the role, location, schedule, compensation, required experience, market conditions, and complexity of the household’s needs. Beginning early and defining the position clearly gives DDA the best opportunity to conduct a careful search. Registration does not guarantee a placement or completion date.
Registration starts DDA’s search process, but no agency can responsibly guarantee a placement or a specific timeline. The clarity and competitiveness of the role—including scope, schedule, compensation, location, reporting relationships, and decision process—affect the available candidate pool and the progress of the search.
The $175 Registration Fee will cover the search for up to two positions if the requests are made at the same time.
Worker classification depends on the facts of the working relationship, including who controls what work is done and how it is performed. A person who performs household work under the household’s direction is often a household employee; an agency referral by itself does not decide classification. Clients should review IRS Publication 926 and obtain advice from a qualified payroll, tax, or legal professional for their circumstances.
A household employer may have federal, state, and local payroll, tax, reporting, workers’ compensation, or other obligations. The requirements depend on the working relationship, compensation, location, and current law. Review IRS Publication 926 and consult a qualified household-payroll, tax, or legal professional before employment begins. Household-payroll providers, including MyHomePay, can be one practical resource, but DDA does not provide tax or legal advice.
Under DDA’s current Terms & Conditions, the final placement fee is due on or before the candidate’s official post-trial start date. A working trial may not exceed five days. The current Terms & Conditions control if any summary differs from the agreement.
Private-service titles overlap, so DDA does not apply a rigid percentage rule. The most useful title reflects the role’s primary outcomes, hands-on duties, decision authority, scope and complexity, reporting relationships, compensation, and the strengths required from the candidate. A clear written job description matters more than forcing a role into a title that does not match the work.
A nanny’s primary focus is childcare and child-related responsibilities. A family assistant combines defined childcare responsibilities with agreed household, administrative, scheduling, errand, or personal-support duties. The appropriate title, schedule, and compensation should reflect the actual work and level of responsibility rather than an assumed universal formula.