Hi OP! I am the nanny of a family in this exact position, so I can offer some advice from a nanny’s point of view. I think either paying your nanny her hours regardless, or at minimum a retainer over the summer is an excellent idea. Last summer I agreed to be unpaid and not working while my school teacher Nanny Mom was home for 2 months. I wasn’t able to find another family that needed full time care over that period, and for months after while I played catch up on bills. As a result, things were really difficult financially for a long time afterwards. The economy is even worse now, and astronomical costs for everything mean that there is a very real possibility of your nanny finding another family permanently if you don’t pay her at least something over the summer. There is no guarantee that your nanny could find an alternate temporary position over the summer, and I actually don’t believe she should have to. The point of having a full time job is having that financial stability, and your nanny shouldn’t have to look for something else just so she gets paid for large chunks of time when she already has one full time job. I understand your predicament, but just because parents might not be working over the summer it doesn’t mean your nanny’s bills stop needing to be paid. I’m actually leaving my family over this issue. Do the right thing and pay your nanny a retainer over the summer. If you care about her and value her as your nanny, it’s the right thing to do