If you are leaving your child in the hands of a carer for several hours each day then it is essential that you have peace of mind and know your child is safe in your absence. The type of care that you choose for your child will affect the options available to you for finding information on your chosen care provider.

Is your child safe?

Essentially all people who work with or near children in main organizations such as child care day centers, schools and after school care clubs run by authorities or schools have to by law have a criminal records check made, this includes everyone, care providers, teachers, meal providers and parents who volunteer their services within these establishments.

The check is referenced using a computer which checks your background for any criminal offences that you have on record with the criminal records bureau.

However this only works for those in organisations and any person you employ through means of your own, for example hiring a carer through an advertisement, background checks will have to be made by yourself.

Parents who choose to hire a nanny, au-pair or child carer themselves cannot apply for a criminal records background check, however if the nanny, au-pair or child carer is supplied through an agency then the agency can ask for a criminal background check to be made.

Day care centers

Staff working in day care centers run by local authorities will have had the screening process automatically when they applied for the position, this will have included the criminal background check with the criminal records bureau.

After school clubs

If the after school club is organised by a school then full background checks will have been made on teachers and also any parent who volunteers to work in the school system, the background check will have included a criminal records check with the criminal records bureau. Day care centers will also have been screened thoroughly to ensure no person with a criminal background works with children.

Nannies

If you employ a nanny from an agency then they will have had background checks and screens with the criminal records bureau before being taken on by the agency.

Au-pairs

If you hire an au-pair through advertising yourself then it will be down to you to make a background check on the person and ask for references, as most au-pairs have come from other countries this can be difficult.

Childminders

All child minders have to registered by law and have adequate training and as such will also be screened for any criminal activities.

What you can do to check the background of a prospective child carer

If you decide to hire a child carer yourself then you cannot check their past with the criminal records bureau you will have to try and find out for yourself if the person is suitable to be working with children. It is always a good idea to ask for references from other positions the candidate has been employed in.

The carer should have references from families they have previously worked for and should offer these to you during the interview. Always follow up on the references which should include telephone numbers, call the numbers and ask about the child carer, questions such as:

• Was the carer trustworthy?
• Why did the carer leave the position?
• What was the level of care provided by the child carer?
• Was the child carer punctual?
• Were the parents happy with the level of care provided?
• Would they recommend the child carer?

Background checks can be made by companies specialising in tracking people and several web sites also offer the opportunity of conducting background checks on people.

The level of information you can find out about a person having a background check performed on them varies from simple checks such as history of addresses, age, if they have children or not to more expensive and through checks including any criminal convictions.

It is always wise to tell the person you are going to conduct a background search on them before doing so and if they have nothing to hide then this won’t cause a problem.

Word of mouth can also be used and friends can often recommend baby sitters or child minders they have used in the past who are trustworthy. Whichever method you choose to take always remain vigilant and on the lookout for signs that something could be amiss.

Having decided that the best choice for day care for your child is within the home then your next choice will be what type of home care provider you require, there are basically two choices – a nanny or a live in nanny who is labeled as an au-pair. The option you decide to take will depend on your circumstances, the hours which you will need care for your child, the flexibility of your working hours and if you need additional help around the home.

Whichever option you choose to go with there are several things you should consider and questions you will have for the people you will interview. It will be useful also if you made a list for yourself regarding qualities to look for, such as experience, any religious or cultural beliefs the person may have as these could be passed onto your child through spending hours together and also the flexibility of the person.

You will also have to make the choice of advertising for a nanny or Au-pair yourself or going through an agency. By going through an agency you will have the reassurance that the person will have had a criminal background check made and the nanny is registered as a child minder.

If you choose to advertise yourself then you will have to make your own arraignments for a criminal background check, it is also recommended that you interview any candidates that look promising twice before making the final choice.

Questions to ask candidates

• What qualifications they have if any and how many years have they been in the child care profession?
• Why they are interested in working in child care?
• Do they have any family of their own?
• Ask for references from their last jobs and check the references.
• What their policy is regarding discipline of children?
• Offer scenarios such as, what they would do if the child threw a tantrum, or if a child hits another child, or won’t do as they are told and study the candidates’ answers.
• Ask what they can provide to stimulate your child’s development.
• Ask what activities the carer would provide your child with during the day * Ask about any first aid training they have taken.
• Ask them how they would handle any anxiety to your child caused by the separation.

A Nanny or Au-pair what is the difference?

An Au-pair will live in the family home and become a member of the family, they will as part of their job assist in light duties around the home such as ironing, dusting, vacuuming and sometimes shopping. Very often an Au-pair will be working far away from home as a cultural learning experience, as such many of them are only young and do not have any child care qualifications other than general common sense.

A nanny will usually live outside the home and work a set amount of hours which should be discussed beforehand, they are generally not as flexible as an Au-pair and most will only take care of your child and house work is not done. Nannies, especially those sent through agencies, will usually have had some training in child care and will have at least the minimal qualifications. They will also have passes a screening test.

Draw up a contract

Once you have hired a care giver for your child it is important that you draw up a working agreement or contract, this is for the benefit of both of you and you should outline duties, hours, salary, vacation time, sick leave and any obligations. A review date should be set for a few months which will give you both the chance to discuss how the arraignment is working out and to help iron out any little problems.

Warning signs to look for

Whoever you choose to take care of your child in your absence whether it be a nanny from an agency or an au-pair you chose yourself, there are no absolute guarantees and you should be vigilant at all times. Signs that something could be wrong are:

• Money goes missing or valuables which could indicate theft.
• You find your child alone unsupervised.
• The care giver does not bond with your child or vice-versa.
• Your child becomes agitated showing signs of problems sleeping and eating, or becomes suddenly withdrawn.
• You notice marks on your child which can’t be explained easily or happen frequently.