2024 Business Women Awards
ACHIEVEMENT HONOREE: Tiesha Sinouthasy
Peace of Mind Nannies founder
IF DEALING WITH COVID-19 wasn’t stressful enough for parents of young kids, finding reliable child care during the pandemic was enough to give them full-blown agita. Tiesha Sinouthasy, founder of Peace of Mind Nannies, had a view from the frontlines.
Sinouthasy launched her East Providence-based nanny and babysitting business in January 2020, only to shut down two months later when pandemic lockdowns began.
“We had a team of 10 nannies ready to work with families,” she said. “When we reopened later that year, parents quickly realized they needed help when they were working from home.”
Peace of Mind Nannies is a placement agency that works with all families but specializes in caring for children and young adults on the autism spectrum, as well as those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It’s the only Rhode Island agency with that specialization, she says.
Peace of Mind also provides child care for special events such as conferences and weddings, with toys, finger painting, Play-Doh and ring tosses included. Nannies earn a minimum of $25 an hour.
With her background in social work and experience working with families on Medicaid, Sinouthasy says she was aware of the gaps in services for disadvantaged groups and individuals. That recognition inspired her to start Peace of Mind Nannies.
“I wanted to go back to working with kids again,” she said. “I’d heard from moms about the challenges of hiring nannies and sitters who can provide that level of care.”
Part of Sinouthasy’s professional mission emphasizes diversity and inclusion. As a nanny to children from diverse backgrounds, she says she’s answered their questions about skin color and listened to their negative, internalized perceptions of beauty standards. It influenced who she hires at Peace of Mind, keeping diversity at the forefront.
She’s also reached out to the LGBTQ+ community and was a guest on the podcast “Engaygement,” where she discussed her experiences growing up queer and what she learned as a babysitter working for queer families. She delved into how difficult it can be for that community to open their homes to child care providers and how those experiences led her to launch her business.
“The most satisfying part of my job is when I can provide a sitter or nanny to a family and hear glowing feedback from the kids,” she said.
