Steps to Finding an Occasional Babysitter.
When finding the babysitter who is just right for you, it is a ‘big’ job. You can do this job on your own by placing ads in the local newspaper; ask others in the community if they know someone to care for children in your home; or look for help through a referral Agency.
No matter what your decision, the steps for finding a good babysitter are the same.
1. Know what you want:
Talk with your partner and decide what it is that you want from your babysitter who will be in your home. Outlining these expectations prior to the care starting and you will certainly have a positive outcome.
- What kind of babysitter do you want? Young, mature, active, someone who brings activities for the child?
- What kind of activities do you want the babysitter to complete? Remember a Nanny’s first priority is a child’s health, safety and well being. Child related activities can include some of the following:
- Age appropriate developmentally appropriate programming.
- Taking children to activities in their community, already determined by the parent.
- Transporting children to and from activities and school.
- Meal planning based upon the four food groups for children. This may include: lunches, lunch preparation, supper and snacks. Who will be responsible for the preparation, serving and clean up.
- Providing appropriate supervision to ensure child safety.
- Maintaining a safe and healthy environment for children.
- Based upon your children’s needs and your activity, you will need to decide how many hours you will want the babysitter to work. What will the work hours be? How much flexibility will you need to accommodate your schedule and children’s schedules? How much notice will be required for the babysitter to accommodate changes to parent schedules?
- Remember, a babysitter’s first priority is your child. If you wish to include light housekeeping in the babysitter’s responsibility, look at how much time it will take to complete child related duties. Look at the responsibilities of housekeeping duties around the needs of your children and plan your time for the babysitter accordingly.
2. What are your resources to get what you want:
- Ask others in the community and workplace how they found a ‘good babysitter’.
- Place ads in your local newspaper or community newspaper.
- Post advertisements on bulletin boards at reputable colleges, universities and school newspapers who may have students enrolled in early childhood programs; recreation programs; teaching assistants or other related fields.
- Go to the professionals. Placement agencies screen candidates, complete references, get medical reports, determine their matching requirements and can save families a lot of time.
- Go online. Websites can assist with lists of placement agencies and independent nannies to assist in your search. Care Finder
3. Interview for what you want:
- An interview is important as it is an opportunity to ‘get to know’ one another. Set an interview time; ask the potential babysitter to bring all her credentials such as first aid certificates and completed security clearance; have your questions written out as a list and address each one.
- Have an interview guideline with specific questions reflecting your needs and wants. Listen carefully to responses and ask for examples to support answers. Past behavior is a good indicator of present behavior.
Important questions to consider include:
- What were past work experiences with children?
- Childcare philosophies: do they match yours?
- Positive Guidance policy: do they match yours?
- How does the babysitter comfort children?
- How will the babysitter meet the individual needs of the child when you are away? What are the babysitter’s ideas for activities for children?
- Ask questions about experiences with children? Ask for examples supporting statements.
- Interview in two phases, first to find out about the individual. Second phase is to determine the babysitter’s interaction with children. Is the babysitter responsive to the children? Do they appear to like her? Does she get down to the children’s level to speak with them? Does she talk with the children or at them?
- Ask for references. Contact each reference personally. Written references with glowing reports are great, but they can be forged, duplicated and fraudulently created. REFERENCE CHECKS ARE ESSENTIAL. If you are using an agency references are completed in advance.
- Last but not least, use your personal discernment: Your GUT. If all the answers were great but it does not feel right, then do not hire the babysitter. Trust your instincts and pay attention to this small detail, it is usually current.
- Have a trial run. Ask the potential babysitter to come to your home to observe the interaction with your children. Pay the babysitter for this time and complete this step several times before actual use for care.
If you have decided to use an agency negotiating times and places may be part of their services to you. Care Finder
Top
Home | About Us | Find Care | Caregivers | Membership | Your Store
Site designed, maintained and hosted by Sunergon Information Services
