Child and Personal Protection Articles - News from 4/7/2008
5/13/2008
Who is Watching your Children?
Did you know that the majority of kidnappings are perpetrated by friends , family members and child care givers? With this in mind, what are you doing to screen potential baby sitters and/or nannies? Here are some tips to help you select a care giver and help minimize your child's odds of becoming a statistic.
1. Do not use the trial and error method. That is, do not go from baby sitter to baby sitter in the hopes of finding the perfect one.
2. Do not take shortcuts. Sure services like Sittercity have fees. However, considering the potential hazards to selecting a poor care giver, the fees are a small price to pay for the peace of mind you will have knowing that you have done everything possible to keep your child safe.
3. Go to trusted sources for recommendations. Ask friends, family and fellow church member for recommendations. Check to see if they have been using the same sitter for long periods of time.
4. If you are new to an area and do not have anyone to go to for recommendations, consider using online resources and services like Sittercity. This service has an excellent track record and has been featured on TV networks like CNN, NBC, CBS and ABC. They also have additional online resources to help you in your search.
5. Once you have narrowed your search, perform interviews with prospective sitters/nannies. Thoroughly review their references and don't be afraid to call up the references to make sure they match what the prospective sitter has provided.
6. Perform background checks once you are down to 1 or 2 candidates. Again, consider going through a trusted source like Sittercity for your selection process. Sittercity offers free access to individual background checks when you sign up and use them for your sitter selection process.
Following some or all of these tips can greatly reduce your child's chances of falling victim to a malicious or poor care giver.
by: Guillermo Mejia