CaregiverAgency.ca Editorial Team
How to Hire a Private Caregiver in Canada
A practical Canada-wide process for defining a caregiver role, comparing candidates and preparing for a direct hire.
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Write the role before searching
Separate essential personal-support tasks from companionship and household work. State the normal hours, live-in or live-out arrangement, location and any genuine language or driving requirement.
- Daily and weekly duties
- Working days, start and finish times
- General location and travel
- Required experience or credentials
- Pay range and who supplies equipment
Use a consistent selection process
Ask every candidate the same core questions and score answers against the role. A warm conversation matters, but it does not replace identity, work-eligibility, reference or credential checks appropriate to the job.
- Structured interview
- Candidate consent for checks
- Two relevant references where available
- Identity and work-eligibility review
- Written explanation of any check result
Prepare the direct working arrangement
The family—not CaregiverAgency.ca—chooses, hires, manages and pays the selected person. Determine whether the worker is an employee or self-employed from the real arrangement, not simply from a label in a contract.
- Written duties and schedule
- Pay, vacation and overtime treatment
- Payroll and remittance setup if required
- Insurance and safety responsibilities
- Review date and a process for changes
Sources and review notes
- CRA — employing a caregiver, babysitter or domestic worker
- Canadian Human Rights Commission — prohibited grounds of discrimination
Sources last reviewed September 4, 2026. This guide provides general information, not legal, tax, employment, medical or financial advice.