Naturally, when you are hiring a babysitter, you are going to want to do research on their background to make sure that they are the right person for the job. After all, you will be entrusting your children to their care. It is imperative that you do research into their background to make sure that they have no secrets that can end up endangering your children or causing you problems in your home.
There are several ways that you can conduct research on a babysitter. Here are a few of them:
- Ask for references and follow up on them.
- Do a criminal background check.
- Hire a private investigator.
- Do internet research on convicted sex offenders.
- Use an agency that provides background checks as part of their service.
Most parents who are looking for child care will opt for checking references. This is the cheapest way you can find out something about the background of a babysitter. You can ask other parents who have used the baby sitter what they thought about their services and also check with their personal references. This is no guarantee that you are getting a good babysitter, but it can work well, especially if you are just looking for a neighborhood teenager who will watch your kids while you go out to dinner.
A criminal background check is easy to get today thanks to the internet. For about $50, you can do a criminal background check on anyone. You do need to get their permission to perform this check. However, be aware that juvenile records can be expunged from these background checks. While these investigations can turn up convicted felons, they do not guarantee that the person who you hire to baby sit your children does not have a drinking or drug problem for which they have yet to be caught. You are better off using references along with a background check.
Hire a private investigator. This may sound a bit the extreme but if you know someone who is in this field, they can find out a bit more than just an ordinary background check. You do not need permission in order to investigate anyone, although this type of research can be costly.
Check out the sex offender registry online. These are available for free and can easily be accessed through the internet. Beware that only those offenders who are registered are on these lists. Child abusers and sex offenders will usually seek out positions where they can be around children, so it pays to take a few minutes to check this out. If you have kids, you should know who the sex offenders are in your area anyway.
You can also use a baby sitting agency that performs an extensive background check on those who they hire for baby sitting services. Some child care agencies do all the research work for you as part of their service to you so that you can get quality babysitters who you can trust.
You are better off to learn as much as you can about a baby sitter as possible before you hire them to watch over your children. Also, do not think that �relatives are safe� automatically because they are relatives. Studies indicate that most children who are victims of abuse are victimized by people who the family members know and trust.