Effective date: October 1, 2026 v2.0

US Nanny Association

Review and Reconsideration Policy

1. Relationship to the Code of Conduct and other agreements

The US Nanny Association Code of Conduct establishes conduct responsibilities. The National Nanny Standards establish professional knowledge and practice expectations. This policy explains how the Association reviews concerns, certification eligibility issues, Code of Conduct concerns, complaints, temporary restrictions, decisions, corrections, and reconsideration requests.

Applicable certification requirements, application agreements, purchase terms, contributor agreements, speaker agreements, membership terms, volunteer terms, and other accepted agreements also apply. If a valid agreement or nonwaivable law controls a specific issue, that agreement or law governs.

This policy does not create a payment obligation, damages cap, indemnity, transfer of copyright, waiver of legal rights, employment relationship, or guarantee of any particular outcome.

2. Scope

This policy applies to matters within the Association’s program authority involving:

• certification applicants;
• certification holders;
• renewal applicants;
• members;
• continuing education learners and purchasers;
• webinar, conference, online community, and event participants;
• content creators, authors, speakers, instructors, and presenters;
• volunteers, committee participants, leaders, and representatives;
• participating businesses, sponsors, contractors, and service providers; and
• other people or organizations subject to the Code of Conduct or Association terms.

This policy also applies to certification eligibility reviews initiated by USNA without a third-party complaint. Personnel, contractor, vendor, or employment-related matters may require separate procedures under applicable agreements or law.

3. Association authority and limits

USNA may review matters within its program authority, request clarification, request documentation, restrict access to services it controls where legally permitted, make certification decisions, make participation decisions, correct records, and seek external assistance when appropriate.

USNA does not continuously supervise caregivers, monitor all online activity, investigate crimes, adjudicate private employment disputes, determine civil damages, provide legal advice, or guarantee a comprehensive investigation.

A complaint-free record, membership, directory listing, certificate of attendance, or certification does not establish that a person is safe to hire. Families, agencies, and employers remain responsible for their own screening, reference checks, background checks, interviews, supervision, and hiring diligence.

This policy does not bind unrelated third parties to contractual duties merely because they contact the Association or submit information.

4. Submitting a concern

Concerns may be sent to info@usnanny.org.

A concern should include, when available:

• the name of the person, business, program, or certification involved;
• the conduct or decision at issue;
• relevant dates;
• supporting information lawfully available to the person submitting the concern;
• contact information for follow-up; and
• whether there is an immediate safety concern.

A person submitting a concern does not need to identify the correct Code provision or prove a violation before submitting information.

Do not email unnecessary sensitive child information, intimate images, medical records, or private household records. If sensitive materials may be relevant, request instructions before sending them.

Emergencies, suspected abuse, suspected neglect, suspected abandonment, suspected exploitation, threats of violence, or other legally reportable matters must be reported directly to emergency services, child protective authorities, law enforcement, or other appropriate authorities. An Association complaint does not replace an emergency call, statutory report, or legal obligation.

5. Initial assessment of concerns

USNA may seek clarification, review relevant Association records, request documentation, contact people with relevant information, consolidate related concerns, close duplicate matters, close unsupported matters, or refer matters outside its authority.

Anonymous concerns may be considered when they are sufficiently specific and supported.

The person submitting a complaint does not control the review, sanction, certification decision, participation decision, or outcome. A complainant does not acquire access to another person’s private application, certification file, background report, personnel record, disciplinary record, or confidential findings.

USNA may provide a limited acknowledgment or closure update without disclosing confidential findings, private information, or internal records.

Good-faith complaints, lawful reporting, lawful criticism, and requests for reconsideration are protected. A lack of substantiation does not establish that a complaint was false. USNA may separately review supported allegations involving knowingly false evidence, harassment, threats, intimidation, retaliation, or misuse of the complaint process.

6. Certification review grounds

USNA may request additional documentation, place an application or renewal on hold, deny an application or renewal, invalidate an examination, restrict reapplication, temporarily suspend certification, suspend certification, or revoke certification for one or more of the following grounds:

1. Failure to establish or maintain an applicable published certification requirement.
2. Materially false or misleading statements, material omissions in required application information, falsified documents, impersonation, examination misconduct, or misuse of certification.
3. Material inconsistencies affecting eligibility that remain unresolved after a reasonable opportunity to provide clarification or supporting documentation.
4. Threats, harassment, intimidation, or other serious misconduct directly related to the certification process, professional responsibilities, or the safety of people participating in Association activities.
5. Conduct established through credible, relevant information that materially violates an identified provision of the Code of Conduct, including abuse, neglect, exploitation, or endangerment of a child.
6. Other comparably serious conduct directly related to certification integrity or the applicant’s or holder’s responsibilities under the published National Nanny Standards and Code of Conduct.

 These grounds restate and supersede any summary of grounds appearing in an application agreement or on a website page. Where the wording differs, this section governs.

Professional judgment and certification fitness review. USNA may review, deny, restrict, temporarily suspend, suspend, revoke, or decline to renew certification when credible information shows that an applicant or certification holder has demonstrated a serious lapse in professional judgment, risk assessment, honesty, disclosure, professional boundaries, or certification fitness that is directly and materially connected to child safety, professional responsibilities, certification integrity, Association participation, or the published National Nanny Standards.

USNA may consider whether the person under review recognized a material risk, maintained appropriate professional boundaries, provided complete and truthful information, avoided misleading families or the Association, followed applicable legal restrictions, respected child-safety safeguards, and demonstrated judgment consistent with holding a USNA certification.

USNA will not base a final decision solely on lawful marital status, family status, personal beliefs, lawful association, rumor, reputational embarrassment, lawful criticism, or protected activity. A final decision must identify the facts relied on and explain the direct and material relationship to child safety, professional responsibilities, certification integrity, Association participation, or the person’s responsibilities under the Code of Conduct or National Nanny Standards.

Certification decisions will be made in good faith, individually, using relevant information and considering the person’s response. A good-faith complaint, reconsideration request, lawful payment dispute, lawful criticism, or protected review does not, by itself, constitute grounds for adverse certification action.

7. Code of Conduct and participation review grounds

USNA may review a Code of Conduct or participation matter when the concern is materially connected to:

• child safety;
• certification integrity;
• examination security;
• application honesty;
• privacy or confidentiality;
• Association systems or records;
• contributor, speaker, volunteer, member, or participant responsibilities;
• safety or security of Association personnel or participants;
• misuse of Association names, logos, badges, certifications, or materials;
• retaliation;
• harassment, threats, intimidation, or material disruption; or
• another responsibility established by the Code of Conduct, accepted agreement, or published program terms.

Membership, participation, content, event access, volunteer, contributor, and certification decisions are assessed separately. Suspending event access, removing a webinar, ending a volunteer assignment, or restricting a communication channel does not automatically revoke certification.

8. Notice and opportunity to respond

Before a final adverse disciplinary or certification decision, USNA will provide written notice that identifies:

• the concern;
• the applicable published requirement, agreement term, or Code provision;
• the material factual basis;
• the potential action;
• response instructions;
• the response deadline; and
• where to send the response.

USNA will provide the relevant information or a sufficiently detailed summary to permit a meaningful response, with lawful redactions for unrelated private information, child privacy, safety, privilege, legal obligations, or confidentiality.

USNA will not base a final misconduct finding solely on an undisclosed allegation that the person has no meaningful opportunity to address.

The person has 15 business days after receipt of the notice to respond and provide clarification or supporting records. A business day is Monday through Friday, excluding United States federal holidays. Notices will state the actual deadline date.

USNA may allow a reasonable extension for access needs, necessary records, background-report disputes, disability accommodation, delivery issues, or other good cause.

If new material allegations or evidence may affect the outcome, USNA will provide a reasonable opportunity to respond before relying on them.

USNA may deliver notices to the email address, student account, member account, application account, registration email, or other address supplied for the program, or by another documented method. USNA will retain delivery information, address known delivery failures, and reasonably adjust a deadline when evidence shows later receipt.

Failure to respond permits a decision on the available record. It is not an admission of misconduct. Routine document requests may use a stated administrative deadline. A proposed adverse eligibility or disciplinary decision remains subject to the applicable response process.

The Association will issue a final written decision within 90 calendar days after the date of the notice under this section. The Association may extend that period once, in writing, stating the reason and a new expected date, where additional records, a background-report dispute, accommodation, an extension granted to the person under review, or another documented cause requires it. A temporary measure under Section 13 remains subject to the separate review intervals in that section.

9. Evidence, decision factors, and written decisions

Applicants and renewal applicants are responsible for establishing eligibility for certification.

A final misconduct finding requires reliable, relevant evidence showing that the violation more likely than not occurred, considered together with the person’s response.

An accusation, suspicion, arrest, unresolved complaint, online post, payment dispute, or another household member’s conduct does not, by itself, establish a violation by the person under review. A criminal conviction is not required to establish underlying conduct through other reliable evidence.

Failure to establish eligibility may support denial without a finding of fraud or misconduct.

USNA will consider seriousness, relevance to the Association’s program authority, evidence reliability, repetition, actual or potential harm, child-safety implications, certification-integrity implications, the person’s response, corrective efforts, time elapsed, whether the issue affects one program status or multiple statuses, and applicable law and agreements.

In professional-judgment matters, USNA may consider reliable information showing a pattern of conduct, public statements, private arrangements, omissions, disclosures, boundary failures, safety concerns, or other facts that materially affect the person’s ability to uphold Association standards. USNA should consider context, seriousness, relevance, reliability, repetition, actual or potential harm, the person’s explanation, corrective action, and whether a narrower corrective step would adequately address the concern.

USNA does not need to wait for harm to occur before taking protective or certification action when reliable information shows a serious concern directly connected to child safety, certification integrity, or professional responsibilities.

USNA will issue a written decision identifying the requirement, agreement term, or Code provision relied upon; material findings; each status affected; the action taken; the effective date; conditions for correction, reinstatement, reapplication, or continued participation, if any; and reconsideration instructions.

When credibility is material, the review must include a reasonable method to clarify disputed facts. This may include written questions, written follow-up, document review, or a remote discussion. No person must confront an alleged harasser or accused person as a condition of review.

10. Available actions

Depending on the role, program, and established issue, USNA may take one or more of the following actions:

• no action;
• request for additional documentation;
• application hold;
• warning;
• corrective requirement;
• additional verification;
• examination invalidation;
• reapplication restriction;
• communication restriction;
• event, account, community, publication, or platform restriction;
• removal from a volunteer, contributor, speaker, or representative assignment;
• removal or correction of content controlled by USNA;
• membership suspension or termination;
• denial of certification or renewal;
• temporary certification suspension;
• certification suspension;
• certification revocation;
• correction of Association records;
• extension of a deadline;
• reinstatement where appropriate; or
• other action reasonably related to the program and supported by the facts, accepted terms, and applicable law.

Serious misconduct may warrant suspension, restriction, denial, or removal without a prior warning. Repeated violations after written notice and a reasonable opportunity to correct may also support action.

An isolated discourteous exchange, good-faith disagreement, unsuccessful complaint, lawful criticism, or lawful payment dispute does not alone justify certification suspension or revocation.

Restrictions on reapplication must state their scope and duration. A permanent prohibition requires a written explanation of why the established conduct justifies that outcome. No sanction is automatic merely because another program status changed.

11. Continuing education, content, and contributor records

Continuing education records may be corrected or invalidated for a supported defect in attendance, completion, assessment integrity, issuance, or record accuracy. Validly earned continuing education credit is not canceled as punishment for unrelated misconduct.

USNA may pause publication, remove content it controls, correct content, decline content, or stop using content to address credible safety, accuracy, permission, copyright, privacy, authorship, AI-use, or infringement concerns, subject to the contributor agreement, speaker agreement, content agreement, and applicable law.

Routine editorial selection, nonselection, expiration of a project, or conclusion of an assignment is not automatically a misconduct finding.

12. Reviewer responsibilities and conflicts

USNA will designate a reviewer and assess material personal, financial, or other conflicts.

Prior involvement in an eligibility decision does not automatically prevent internal reconsideration. The original decision-maker may conduct reconsideration. Reconsideration is an internal review and is not represented as an independent appeal, external appeal, mediation, arbitration, or court process.

Exception for the most serious outcomes. Where the decision under reconsideration is a certification revocation or a permanent restriction on reapplication, reconsideration will be conducted by a reviewer who did not make the original decision.

If a reviewer is personally involved in material disputed events or has another substantial conflict, USNA will assess and document arrangements adequate for a fair decision. This may include reassignment or use of a qualified external reviewer.

Relevant conflicts and the means of addressing them will be disclosed to the affected person to the extent consistent with privacy, safety, and legal duties.

A final adverse misconduct decision will not be issued until arrangements adequate for a fair review are in place. Temporary protective measures may still be used under this policy when justified. This policy does not require paid mediation or arbitration.

13. Temporary protective measures

13.1 Access and participation restrictions

USNA may promptly restrict event access, account access, publication access, assignment access, communication access, community access, or other participation where documented facts reasonably support a serious safety, security, confidentiality, child-safety, examination-security, or material disruption concern. Restrictions must be proportionate to the concern. USNA will provide written reasons and a response route promptly, preserve a reasonable channel for required submissions and reconsideration, and arrange review as soon as practicable. Access or participation restrictions do not automatically change certification status.

13.2 Temporary certification suspension

Where there is a documented, serious, and immediate concern for a child’s safety or examination security, USNA may temporarily suspend certification with written notice and prompt review. Temporary suspension may also be appropriate where credible information shows a serious concern directly connected to child safety, certification integrity, or professional responsibilities, including a serious lapse in professional judgment, risk assessment, disclosure, or boundaries that cannot be adequately addressed through a narrower temporary measure. The notice will identify the concern, scope, effective date, response process, and conditions for reinstatement or completion of review. Required consumer-report notices and waiting procedures take precedence.

13.3 Continued review of temporary measures

Temporary action is protective and is not a final misconduct finding. USNA will state a next review date, ordinarily within 15 business days, reassess continued necessity, and explain any extension and next review date in writing. Any longer initial interval must be justified in the notice. USNA will lift or narrow a temporary measure when it is no longer justified. Any examination time, application time, or access time lost through an Association-imposed hold will be addressed expressly. Extensions required by law or needed to correct Association error will be provided.

14. Background reports and consumer-report safeguards

A criminal record does not automatically determine eligibility. Where legally permitted, USNA considers the nature and seriousness of the conduct, its connection to childcare, time elapsed, disposition, rehabilitation or subsequent conduct, and the applicant’s explanation. USNA will not rely on information that applicable law prohibits it from using.

Before a final unfavorable certification decision based in whole or in part on a submitted consumer background report, USNA will provide the concern, a copy of the report relied on, the current Consumer Financial Protection Bureau “Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act,” and any additional applicable notices.

The person will have 15 business days after receipt to identify inaccuracies or provide relevant information. USNA will reasonably extend that period for a timely reporting-company dispute and will consider relevant corrected information before deciding. Providing these safeguards does not itself determine the legal classification of the transaction.

If an unfavorable decision follows, USNA will provide its factual and policy basis and, where required by applicable consumer-reporting law, the reporting company’s name, address, and telephone number; a statement that the reporting company did not make the decision and cannot explain it; and notice of the right to dispute inaccurate or incomplete information and obtain a free report from that company within 60 days. Additional state-law requirements remain applicable.

USNA retains reports with restricted access and does not supply background reports to prospective employers, agencies, families, or other hiring parties.

15. Reconsideration

A person affected by a written adverse certification, participation, membership, contributor, volunteer, or disciplinary decision may request reconsideration at info@usnanny.org within 30 calendar days after receipt of the written decision.

The request should identify the decision being challenged, what the person believes was decided incorrectly, the relevant facts or requirements, any additional records or information the person wants considered, and the requested correction.

There is no filing or administrative fee for reconsideration. A person does not need a lawyer or third-party service to request reconsideration.

Reconsideration will address the stated grounds and relevant information and conclude with a written decision affirming, modifying, or withdrawing the original action.

USNA aims to decide within 30 calendar days after receiving a complete reconsideration request. If additional time is needed, USNA will explain the reason and provide an updated expected date.

A reconsideration request does not automatically stay an action. USNA may reopen a matter when materially significant new evidence or an error warrants it. The reconsideration decision is final within the Association’s internal process. Internal finality does not limit rights available under applicable law.

16. Payment status and reconsideration

Reconsideration carries no additional charge and does not waive a required original program fee.

Where the applicable accepted agreement authorizes it, an actual reversal, returned payment, or chargeback that leaves the relevant required fee unpaid may result in an administrative pause of application processing until payment is resolved. An open payment dispute does not itself establish that payment was reversed, that the fee is unpaid, or that fraud occurred.

USNA will identify the unpaid amount and resolution route in writing. A reconsideration request submitted within the 30-day period preserves that deadline during a payment pause. Any new response deadline will be stated when processing resumes.

A payment pause does not suspend legally required notices, consumer-report dispute opportunities, emergency action, safety review, or other nonwaivable rights. It does not prevent submission of a complaint or safety information.

USNA will consider a documented claim of payment error before treating payment as unresolved and will not require duplicate payment where the required fee has already been restored. Nonpayment and disciplinary misconduct are separate issues.

17. Correction, internal remedies, and refunds

If USNA determines it made an error, it will correct the decision and relevant records.

Correction may include reopening review, issuing certification, reinstating certification, restoring access, correcting a learning record, correcting a public verification status, correcting an internal record, providing a required notice, granting an appropriate extension, or taking another appropriate corrective action.

Correction will be made without an additional Association fee when applicable requirements are met. If the error cannot be adequately corrected in that way, USNA will refund the fees paid to it or its authorized collector for the affected application or service, accounting for amounts already returned.

An unsuccessful application, upheld denial, upheld disciplinary decision, expired application, or failed examination does not itself create a refund entitlement. Other refund rights are governed by the applicable accepted purchase agreement and nonwaivable law.

These are remedies available through internal review. This policy does not create a universal liability cap or waive remedies otherwise available under law.

18. Records, privacy, and public communications

USNA will preserve applicable accepted terms, relevant evidence, notices, delivery records, responses, conflict-management records, findings, and decisions under its records retention policy and applicable legal holds.

Access is limited to people who reasonably need information for review, administration, safety, professional advice, legal compliance, or program operations. A reviewer, professional advisor, or vendor receives only information appropriate to the assigned task.

USNA cannot guarantee anonymity or absolute confidentiality. Relevant information may need to be shared to permit a meaningful response, administer the review, address safety, comply with law, or obtain professional advice.

USNA may update certification verification records to reflect accurate certification status and effective dates, including a temporary suspension where applicable. Public status records will not describe an unresolved allegation as an established finding. Private background reports will not be published.

Other disclosures must have a lawful purpose, be accurate and appropriately limited, and respect applicable reporting obligations and privacy rights. USNA will not organize pressure on employers or customers to punish a participant or use public accusations to suppress protected criticism.

19. Protected activity and no retaliation

Honest reviews, opinions, good-faith complaints, lawful criticism, lawful competition, lawful payment disputes, worker organizing protected by law, cooperation with authorities, requests for reconsideration, and exercise of legal rights are permitted.

USNA does not require a person to withdraw or change a protected review, complaint, or lawful statement as a condition of obtaining a benefit or avoiding discipline.

These protections do not excuse separately established threats, harassment, fraud, retaliation, falsified evidence, examination misconduct, privacy violations, or other misconduct.

No person is required to confront someone accused of misconduct or obtain Association permission before seeking emergency assistance, legal advice, regulatory assistance, law enforcement assistance, child protective services assistance, or other outside help.

Retaliation against a person for raising a concern in good faith, providing truthful information, requesting reconsideration, or exercising legal rights is prohibited.

20. Legal rights and effective date

USNA and affected people retain remedies independently available under law, including appropriate reports to authorities, protection of systems and intellectual property, requests for judicial relief, and other lawful remedies.

Internal review is not a prerequisite to exercising a legal right and does not shorten or automatically extend a legal limitation period.

This policy does not require a complainant or respondent to fund mediation or arbitration. Applicable law and any valid separate forum agreement govern external proceedings.

This policy takes effect on the adopted date for relationships to which it validly applies. The applicable Code, certification requirements, application agreements, purchase terms, and other agreements determine substantive obligations.

Changes will be communicated and any required acceptance obtained. No new substantive duty will be imposed retroactively through this procedure. USNA will use a fair process appropriate to existing rights when dealing with earlier conduct or prior agreements.

21. Where to send a concern, response, or reconsideration request

Send concerns, responses, documentation, and reconsideration requests to: info@usnanny.org.

Include your full name, the certification or program involved, the date of the decision or concern if applicable, and any relevant documentation.

Emergencies and legally required reports must be directed to the appropriate authorities without waiting for Association review.