For many families with young children, COVID-19 has made the idea of in-home child care more appealing than ever before. However, while the convenience and flexibility can’t be beat, the liability exposure is more complicated than you might imagine. Are you prepared to respond to the risks?
The risk of potential employer status
When you drop off your child at a preschool or day care center, the only financial obligation you have is the fee payments. But when a caregiver comes to your home regularly, you gain a brand-new set of financial and insurance obligations.
If you use a babysitter on occasion, it won’t affect your insurance too much since casual babysitters are usually considered independent contractors (though it’s still a good idea to review your homeowners policy to ensure your personal injury and medical payment liability limits are sufficient).
However, if a nanny or au pair works exclusively for you, they’re likely considered an employee. You might have hired them through a service or agency, assuming it would reduce the hassle of legal liability, but that’s not always the case. Depending on the agency’s insurance and your employment arrangement, you might still be considered an employer.
Insurance options to offset your financial liability
It’s important to consider all the insurance angles, both as an individual and an employer. At a minimum, consider adding your child care worker to your home and auto insurance policies. Make sure the limits are high enough to cover your added property and personal injury risk.
Here are two notable coverages to ask your agent about.
Workers’ compensation
Workers’ compensation is traditionally the go-to insurance for employees injured on the job. If your child care provider is injured while in your service, you could be liable. Workers’ compensation insurance can help cover things like medical costs and loss of income. Some workers’ compensation policies include return-to-work programs to help with the injured person’s recovery.
Your state might not require workers’ compensation coverage for in-home staff, but that doesn’t mean you should skip it.
Employment practices liability
Should a conflict arise between you and your caregiver, employment practices liability insurance (EPLI) is the way to go. Workers’ compensation only covers injuries sustained on the job — it doesn’t respond to claims relating to employer-employee disputes.
EPLI can help with legal bills, settlements or court-awarded damages. A policy with a public relations solution can also help with public response to get ahead of sensitive accusations. EPLI responds to allegations like:
Sexual harassment
Discrimination
Wrongful termination or discipline
Breach of employment contract (traditionally a written contract, but it can be oral)
Failure to hire
Emotional distress (witnessing a violent incident or harassment, for example)
Mismanagement of benefits (exclusions apply)
You might want to talk to your lawyer and insurance agent even before you start your nanny search, in case an employment practices claim arises out of the interviewing or hiring process.
A word about employee benefits and tax considerations
Employee benefits are a great way to retain top talent. Employer-sponsored perks like disability insurance, health insurance and retirement plans might not seem like a liability, but you’ll have tax and employment considerations to handle. And even if you don’t offer any optional benefits, you may still be required to provide your nanny with specific tax forms and withhold taxes from their paycheck.
Check with your lawyer and accountant about staying in compliance with employment laws, tax forms, filing requirements, paycheck withholdings and other federal and state laws.
Trust your caregiver, but protect your interests
Great relationships — both personal and professional — are built on trust and transparency. Any individual working in your home should undergo a thorough background check, including confirming references, before any work agreements are enacted. (This is particularly important, of course, when the work involves supervising young children.)
A clear employment contract that specifies work terms such as normal work hours, pay, overtime, holiday schedules, sick and vacation pay, other employee benefits and job duties is essential for clarity. It also helps protect you in case of a lawsuit.
Employment laws vary from state to state, so it’s wise to consult an employment law attorney to create and review any contractual agreements before you sign them.
Call your agent
Walking the fine line of individual and employer status takes some finessing. When it comes to in-home child care, there may be gaps in your current coverage that individual policies weren’t designed to handle. Call your insurance professional to ensure you, your children and your caregiver are protected.
Call Your Insurance Agent to Secure Nanny Liability Coverage
Call Your Insurance Agent to Secure Nanny Liability Coverage
Call Your Insurance Agent to Secure Nanny Liability Coverage
Please use this form if you are interested in a member of our team contacting you regarding your insurance needs.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What types of companies does Unbridled Insurance specialize in?
UIA specializes in providing commercial insurance solutions for high net worth individuals middle-market businesses, capital investment firms (including VCs and family offices) and hyper-growth tech-enabled companies. Our expertise in high-complexity risk helps clients in these industries secure tailored coverage that scales as they grow.
Do you offer customized insurance programs for multi-site restaurant groups?
Yes. We build fully customized insurance programs for restaurant operators with multiple locations, focusing on property, liability, food safety, cyber, and business interruption risk. Our team understands the operational exposure unique to multi-unit concepts and structures coverage accordingly.
Why do middle-market companies choose Unbridled Insurance instead of a national brokerage?
Middle-market companies choose us because we combine deep industry expertise with hands-on service and faster turnaround times. We act as a strategic partner—not just an insurance broker—helping clients identify risk blind spots, negotiate better terms, and improve long-term outcomes.
How does unbridled insurance differ from traditional insurance brokers?
Unlike traditional brokers, we focus exclusively on complex commercial risks and niche verticals. We combine deep market knowledge, direct carrier relationships, and proactive risk advisory to deliver higher-quality coverage and better renewal outcomes.
Do you offer specialized coverage for venture-backed or tech-enabled companies?
Absolutely. We provide tailored D&O, cyber liability, technology E&O, and commercial general liability policies designed specifically for venture-backed and high-growth tech companies. Our approach helps protect investors, boards, and founders during rapid scaling, funding rounds, and new product launches.
Can Unbridled Insurance handle complex E&O and D&O requirements for capital groups?
Yes. We advise and place specialized Errors & Omissions and Directors & Officers coverage for capital groups—including venture capital firms and family offices—ensuring their investment portfolios are protected and compliant across multiple industries and jurisdictions.
How does Unbridled Insurance help growing companies reduce premiums without sacrificing coverage?
We use a data-driven approach to benchmark risk, negotiate with underwriters, and restructure coverage where appropriate. This allows many clients to reduce total premium spend while enhancing protection and eliminating unnecessary or duplicate policies.
Can Unbridled Insurance help multi-location businesses consolidate all their insurance policies?
Absolutely. We routinely consolidate insurance programs for multi-site businesses to reduce administrative friction, eliminate unnecessary overlap, and negotiate better pricing with carriers.
Do you provide risk assessments or audits before placing coverage?
Yes. We prefer to start every engagement with a detailed risk assessment designed to uncover material exposures and operational gaps. This ensures the coverage we recommend is tailored, cost-effective, and aligned with the client’s long-term goals.
Can you help venture-backed startups prepare for their next funding round from an insurance perspective?
Yes. We develop insurance plans that satisfy board, investor, and regulatory requirements—helping startups mitigate risk and present a stronger position to institutional investors during funding rounds.
What types of commercial liability coverage do you specialize in?
We specialize in General Liability, Professional Liability (E&O), Directors & Officers (D&O), Cyber Liability, Employment Practices Liability (EPLI), and Umbrella / Excess Liability for middle-market and high-growth businesses.
How often should a growing business review its insurance program?
Fast-growing companies should review their insurance at least annually—or immediately after major events such as acquisitions, funding rounds, geographic expansion, or new service offerings—to ensure coverage stays aligned with the company’s actual risk profile.
Does Unbridled Insurance negotiate directly with carriers on behalf of the client?
Negotiate probably isn't the right term, but we do work directly with underwriters to structure favorable terms, maximize coverage, and lower total cost of risk. Our carrier relationships are a core part of our strategy.
Can Unbridled Insurance help with insurance requirements in vendor or client contracts?
Definitely. We review vendor and customer agreements to ensure your insurance program meets all contractual requirements—reducing risk of breach and accelerating deal execution.
Where is Unbridled Insurance located?
Our headquarters is in Dallas, Texas, but we serve clients nationwide—with satellite locations in Colorado and Florida and active acquisitions across the south east.
Is Unbridled Insurance an independent agency or part of a national brokerage?
e are a fully independent, privately-held commercial brokerage. This allows us to stay objective and source the best possible coverage from the full marketplace—not limited carrier panels.
Does Unbridled Insurance provide consulting or advisory services in addition to brokerage?
Yes. In addition to placing coverage, we provide strategic risk assessments, contract review, policy benchmarking, and ongoing risk advisory as part of our core engagement model.
What size of company does Unbridled Insurance typically work with?
We specialize in serving lower middle-market and high-growth companies—typically organizations that have scaled past the “small business” stage and require a more sophisticated commercial insurance strategy.
How does Unbridled Insurance customize insurance plans for different clients?
We begin with a deep-dive risk assessment, benchmark existing coverage, and construct a tailored program based on the client’s unique operational exposures, growth trajectory, and risk tolerance.
Does Unbridled Insurance work with national carriers or niche insurance providers?
Both. We work with a wide range of national carriers as well as specialty markets, allowing us to source the most competitive and precise coverage for our clients’ industries.
How can I get started working with Unbridled Insurance?`
Simply contact us through the website or request a consultation. Our team will schedule an introductory conversation to learn about your business and begin the risk assessment process.`
What is the overall mission of Unbridled Insurance?
Our mission is to help growth-minded businesses protect what they’ve built and confidently pursue new opportunities—through smarter, more strategic commercial insurance and risk management.
Why does Unbridled Insurance focus on high-net-worth and high-growth clients?
High-net-worth individuals and growing organizations face complex and evolving risk exposures. We focus on this segment because it requires a level of sophistication, strategic thinking, and carrier access that generalist brokers simply can’t provide.
Does Unbridled Insurance broker employer benefits?
At this time our agency does not offer Employer Benefits. We are planning on adding this 2-3 years down the road.
Does Unbridled Insurance provide concierge-level service for high-net-worth clients?
Yes. Our client service model is built around rapid response, direct access to senior advisors, and white-glove support across all policy and risk management needs.
How does Unbridled Insurance ensure long-term client satisfaction?
We deliver ongoing value through proactive communication, annual program reviews, and continuous optimization of coverage to match the client’s evolving business needs. Our goal is to act as a long-term strategic partner, not a transactional vendor.
What does the onboarding process look like for new clients?
Every new engagement begins with a structured onboarding process that includes a deep-dive risk assessment, policy audit, and implementation roadmap. This ensures we fully understand the client’s business and can deliver a seamless transition from day one.
How responsive is the Unbridled Insurance team to client requests?
Responsiveness is one of our core values. Clients have direct access to experienced advisors and can expect fast turnaround times on certificates, policy endorsements, contract reviews, and renewal questions.
What steps does Unbridled Insurance take to build trust with clients?
We take a transparent and advisory-led approach—clearly explaining coverages, carrier options, and pricing. This gives clients full visibility into the process and confidence that their best interests are driving every recommendation.
How does Unbridled Insurance measure success with its clients?
Client success is measured through improved coverage terms, reduced total cost of risk, stronger renewal outcomes, and consistent feedback from the client that they feel protected, informed, and supported.
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