Security Check for Hiring a Babysitter or Nanny
In this day and age, the idea of leaving your children with someone you don't know very well can be quite scary. The FBI's National Incident-Based Reporting System says that babysitters commit 4.2% of the crimes reported against children in the US. For your children's safety and your own peace of mind, you should do a
thorough background check before you hire a nanny or babysitter. Here is what you should look for:
Criminal History Check
Get the person's Social Security number and fill out a criminal history check at both the state and federal levels.
Sexual Offender Check
Regular crimes may be dropped from the record after seven years, but sexual offenses are kept on the books indefinitely, and they are tracked by the FBI no matter which jurisdiction the person moves to.
Address Check
Get the person's current and previous address, finding out how long they have lived at each. A lot of address changes in a short time could indicate instability and warrant deeper investigation.
Driving History Check
Before hiring a babysitter/nanny, check their driving history. Speeding tickets, DUI offenses, and tickets for reckless driving may all be indicators that this person isn't responsible enough to take care of your children.
Check Professional Licenses
If your potential babysitter/nanny has any professional certifications, verify that they are valid and that they qualify the person to do what he/she claims. Look for someone with basic first aid and adult/infant CPR certifications, and ask to see their certification cards.
Check References
Whenever hiring somebody to work with your children, get references and check up on them. Find out if previous employees were happy with the babysitter's work. Find out how long the person was employed, how they were with the children, whether they were punctual or not, and whether they should be considered trustworthy.
Source: Tom Patire's Personal Protection Handbook
To find out more about background checks read: Employment background checks, Running background checks, or Secrets a background check won't uncover.