The 4 Key Steps to Finding the Right Babysitter

Your children are your most valuable asset so take the time and effort to find the best sitter possible for your children. Here are four tips to ensure you have the best.

1 - Conduct an in-person interview with the candidates
At SeekingSitters we interview all sitters in person and perform a thorough reference check before our private investigators begin their screening process. We recommend this process for anyone hiring a child care provider. Pay attention to how they dress and if they arrive on time. If they are punctual for the interview will they be on time when you need them for a babysitting job.

2 - Ask the right questions
Make sure to ask questions about the sitter’s experience
- Their reason for wanting to be a sitter – is it solely driven by money or a love of children.
- Ask them to describe their experience especially with children the same age as yours.
- Ask them how they would handle different scenarios with your children. This can help you find out if they really have a love of children or if it is just about money for them.

3 - Verify information
Confirm they have CPR and first aid certification, at SeekingSitters we require certification of all our sitters. Of course – the internet and social media can provide some good background information so also check Facebook pages and other social media sites. Finally - check all references. This is often the most overlooked step, especially if a friend or colleague referred the sitter to you. Follow your instincts when interviewing someone as well.

4. Perform a background investigation on the sitter

Find a reputable background screening company that screens the following for each applicant: (and screens nationwide)
- Personal character history
- Address history
- Criminal records
- Civil records.
Note: Make sure there is an actual person – preferably a licensed private investigator - verifying information. Don’t rely on the automated online services. Even a misspelled name can bring back inaccurate or incomplete information. Often online background checks will miss items if a real person is not double checking spellings etc. Most investigations fail to do this and can often miss very pertinent information.

In-home Monitoring (nanny cams): We feel like if you properly do the steps to screen your sitter coming in your home you can ensure safety for your children; however, if you feel you need to add additional comfort we suggest adding a two way camera into your home. It can help you keep a great working environment in your house. In lieu of hiding the camera, put it out in the open and let the sitter know that the kids can stop by the camera anytime to say HI to mom or dad while they are away. There are even applications that you can view the camera from your Smartphone while you are away from the house.
By Linda Quinones – Local Owner of SeekingSitters Washington, DC and Montgomery County and has four children of her own so she knows how difficult it can be to find a trusted babysitter.
SeekingSitters is an on demand babysitting referral service that does all the work for parent and our contract professional sitters. For more information go to www.seekingsitters.com.