I must confess, I haven’t really thought too long or hard about the babysitters I have chosen to look after my little ones. They have tended to land themselves the ‘job’ because they come from a ‘nice’ family or they go to church. But in this article, Jack Meyers who runs a blog on baby sitters, discusses things that every parent should consider before choosing a stranger to take care of their kids.
When it comes to the safety of our children, we want to make sure we have the very best care we can give them. In a world where anything can happen, we have to be selective in order for our children to be safe. Background information about a prospective caregiver can be quite enlightening when choosing the right person for the job of caring for your child. It’s not about being nosy, but more of making sure that your child will be safe when you go out.
1. Violence – You want to make sure that your background check of the caregiver provides any information about violent crimes. However, some of these can be misleading as there are some really silly reasons as to why people may be arrested on assault charges. For instance, in some states you can be arrested for domestic violence in the midst of a pillow fight. Speak to your caregiver and see if they are willing to explain what happened.
2. Alcoholism – No employer tolerates drinking on the job except for those at a distillery. Taste testing must be an awesome job for the beer lover. Potential candidates who have a history of drinking infractions could put your child at great risk. However, make note of the dates of these infractions. A recovering alcoholic could be sober for several years, or a twenty one year old could have made a mistake on their first time out at a bar.
3. Driving Record – If your expectations of a caregiver require driving your child to various locations, a motor vehicle record is a must-have. You don’t want someone who treats the roadway like a real-life version of Grand Theft Auto. However, take into consideration that things do happen. Everyone was young once and many of us may have a spotty driving record.
4. Theft – One of the biggest concerns when dealing with a child caregiver is the fear of theft. A kleptomaniac is probably the wrong choice to allow into your home and that kind of information is important on a background check. You need to be able to trust this person with the most valuable things in your home, including your child – which should always come first.
5. Gang Relations – It may be considered stereotyping, but someone linked to gang activity should always throw up a red flag somewhere in your mind. Now, if this was in the 1950s, a gang wouldn’t be so likely. Now-a-days, a gang could wind up riddling your house with bullet holes as part of a drive-by shooting. However, not many gang members decide to improve their lives by becoming a nanny. But it is still nice to know if he or she has been involved in gang activity nonetheless.
Conducting a background check can give you quite a bit of information depending on what company does the checking. Try not to be too harsh on those that have simple mistakes on their record such as driving without insurance. But do have concerns for those who were driving without insurance while intoxicated. Your child’s life may depend on the caregiver’s ability to cope with given situations.