Leaving your children to strangers can be uncomfortable, and you may worry about many things. Are your children safe? Are you making the right decision? Can you trust the people you’re letting into your home?
Learning how to have a stress-free babysitting experience is easy once you know where to look. There are plenty of online tools that you can use to make sure that the person you’re trusting to watch your kids is trustworthy. The following tips can eliminate the guesswork.
Search Public Records (Criminal Records)
You don’t have to be a detective to ensure you’re hiring the right babysitter for your children. Criminal court records, in most states, are considered public records and are easily accessible. You can go online and visit PACER to access federal criminal court records or your state’s judicial court website. If you didn’t find the record you’re looking for online, you can go to your county clerk’s office and request a background check.
This way, you will have an idea if there are any criminal records associated with the person you’re thinking of hiring. When your search results return no criminal records, it’s one way to ensure that a candidate is a good option.
Do a Background Check
Aside from court records, you can visit websites that offer free background checks or third-party background check service providers. You can do the background check by filling out the information required, which usually needs the first and last name and the state. Websites offering free background checks will give you an overview of the research conducted in their database.
On the other hand, third-party background check services can provide a comprehensive result of a person’s criminal history, credit history, educational background, employment history, arrest records, and other public records for a fee. However, before you conduct a background check on the babysitter, you must ask for their consent. This will guarantee that you are not violating any employment laws.
If you’re looking to locate person by social security number for free, there are various helpful websites, such as BackgroundCheckRepair, that provide these services at no cost.
Ask for Certificates, Credentials, or Training Taken
Children will always be children; sometimes, they become too excited and get into an accident. They could get hurt while playing, and their injuries could range from small cuts to fractures. Those could be painful, so it’s important to find ways to keep your home safe and pick someone who can respond to emergencies while watching over your kids.
Some children have medical conditions, like allergies or special needs. You must inform a potential caregiver about it, so they can handle it should an incident arise. Knowing about childcare, credentials, and training will help ease your worries.
Call Previous Employers and Inquire
Don’t just ask about their credentials or training or conduct a background check. You should also go over their resume and cross-check your background check results.
Ask for character references, too. When character references aren’t available, be sure that you ask for them. Take the time to call some, if not all, of their previous employers and references. You can ask about their character, personality, and how they responded to various situations when working with the other families.
Knowing how to find someone’s employment history and using it to your advantage, like calling previous employers, will give you a better perspective on the babysitter’s work ethic.
Trust Yourself
As a parent, you want to ensure that you always make the best decisions for your children. It’s important to trust your instincts when you’re hiring a babysitter. During the interview, move on and find someone else if something feels off.
These tips can help you confidently leave your children in the hands of a babysitter. The steps will involve a lot of research and checking, but when you exercise due diligence and trust your instincts, you can keep your home and children safe and have a stress-free babysitting experience for you and your kids.
