‘Nightmare Nanny’ Hired Off Craiglist Illustrates Why You Don’t Get Childcare From Craigslist

Marcella Bracamonte, a 31-year-old wife and mother of three who lives in Upland, California, has now learned first hand that the only things you should get off Craigslist are boxes of old rags, because the nanny she hired from there is basically the exact opposite of what you are looking for when wanting decent, quality childcare. The nanny they hired, Diane Stretton age 64, is described as being a fabulous nanny at first, until she suddenly decided to stop minding the children, come out of her bedroom except for meals, and oh yeah, she is threatening to sue her family for wrongful dismissal and abuse of the elderly and incredibly, has told them she wants them out of their own house daily between  eight am and eight pm.

This may be the best nanny story EVER!

From ABCNews:

The first few weeks she was awesome. She would come places with us, help out with the kids, she was really great. Then things changed. All of a sudden she stopped working, she would stay in her room all day and only come out when food was ready. 

The nanny then told the couple she had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and that caring for the kids was too hard for her. So the couple sat right down and wrote her a letter, outlining what her nanny duties are and stating that if she didn’t do these things they would have to fire her. When they presented her with this letter she slammed the door in their faces and told them it wasn’t legal. Bracamonte said when she contacted police they told her it was now a civil matter and they have to legally evict her.

John Moore of the Upland Police Department confirmed to ABC News they cannot do anything at the moment because, ‘generally, once somebody has established residency, you have to go through a formal eviction process.’

According to the report, Marcella says:

‘So this lady is welcome inside my house, anytime she wants,  to eat my food anytime she wants and harass me basically. I’m now a victim in my home and it’s completely legal.’

I love old people. While reading this I was just about ready to welcome Stretton into my home and let her live with me. She may not be helpful with the kids, but I feel terrible thinking about some old lady who can’t nanny anymore and has a chronic health problem and nowhere to go. But then the article states that Stretton has been involved in 36 lawsuits, ensuring she has made California’s Vexatious Litigant list, for abusing the system. Ruh-oh.

The Bracamonte family is continuing to go through the eviction process.

That must be amazingly awkward. You have a stranger living in your home, you ask her to leave, and she says that she will sue you right back for wrongful dismissal and that she also wants the family out of the house during the day.

I want to know if Stretton has a family or someone who can step in and help her leave the house and maybe get her a new place to live and some therapy or something. It’s hard for me to understand why she would stay anywhere she obviously isn’t welcome, and now that this story has made the papers I doubt she can find employment as a nanny again. On one hand, I think she seems pretty whackadoodle but on the other hand, what a drag it is getting old. I would hate to be 64 and in a mess like this. Then again, I would also hate some strange lady living in my house and refusing to leave, so there’s that.

Good childcare is so hard to find these days.

(Image: CBSlocal)

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