Nanny Background Check - Assure Your Childs Safety

Picking a nanny can take quite some time to do properly. When you want to make sure your kids are being cared for properly, there is not such a thing as too comprehensive of a background check.

A nanny background check should be run on any serious nanny candidates you may have. They may "interview well" but that shouldn't be your sole criteria for choosing them. You may even find out that they are criminal felons or convicted sex offenders!

Make sure you include the following questions that you may ask your prospective nanny:

* Why do you want to be a nanny?

* What interests you most about taking care of kids?

* What caused you to look for new employment?

* When and how do you discipline a child?

* How do you differ from others in making sure my kids get good mental growth?

* What can you offer my kids to enhance their physical development that sets you apart from the other people who are applying for this job?

* What do you do to promote learning?

* What kind of experience do you have in teaching art and music?

* Do you have experience playing outside as well as inside?

* What are some of your favorite activities?

* How do you handle tantrums or irrational moods?

After the interview, let your prospect know that as a matter of due diligence you will be running their name through a verifiable background check. If doing a check becomes a major issue to them, it's time to pass them over and look for a candidate that you can feel safe and secure about.

Make sure you get your nanny job applicant to complete a routine job application. This should include how to contact them, where they've lived in the past, where they've worked and any people that would provide them a job reference.

As a routine matter, look over the application and make sure it is completely filled out. Check to make sure they've included their birthday, where they were born, SSN and drivers license number. Call all the references and, if you can't reach them, ask for a different one to replace the one you couldn't verify.

Make sure that you have your applicant sign a consent form for the background check and get a copy of his or her state issued identification (passport, drivers' license). Make sure the official identification includes a photo.

A good nanny background check should include:

Identity Verification: Verify that the SSN and driver's license numbers that were supplied by the nanny are actually theirs.

DMV Records: You'd be surprised what you can learn from a driving record. In addition to the more mundane speeding tickets, you may find that there are multiple DUI's or reckless driving. These are not the acts of a responsible nanny.

Financial Records: You can find out how responsible your prospect is from these records. You'll find their previous addresses, previous employers and whether or not they can pay their bills on time.

Criminal Records: A criminal record check is imperative to the safety of your kids. You might be surprised to find criminal activity that you can't live with - including that of being a convicted sex offender.

You can't be too careful when doing a nanny background check. After all there is no such thing as being too careful when it comes to the safety of your children. There is just no such thing as being too thorough. A good nanny knows this and won't mind submitting to a nanny background check.