How to Conduct a Nanny Background Check

Hiring a nanny is an incredibly important decision as it can directly affect the development of your young child or children. Your nanny will spend many hours each week looking after your children, so making sure that they’re trustworthy is crucial. It’s possible to simply hire a nanny without any checks, of course, but then you could potentially be putting your child at risk.

It’s always advised to perform a background check on any nanny before you hire them. This check will help you determine whether the nanny is who they say they are. It will also reveal whether they’re safe and trustworthy to leave looking after your children. Services such as https://checkpeople.com/ will instantly look up information on your prospective nanny. This is useful for determining whether they’re the right fit for your child.

Why Are Nanny Background Checks Important?

There are a lot of dishonest people out there. The vast majority of nannies are good, hard-working, and honest people. However, some people set out to work as nannies as a way to steal. Some may even become nannies to carry to out abuse. It’s vital that you check the background of any potential nanny before hiring them. You want to make sure that your home is secure and, most importantly, that your child or children are safe. It’s also a good idea if you want to hire the best possible nanny for your child. You’ll want to make sure that the nanny has the experience and qualifications necessary to work with your children. It’s also important to verify their identity. A background check will be able to find out any details about the person and who they are.

What Can a Background Check Reveal?

Background checks will usually turn up any criminal history, including arrests and charges. Depending on which state you live, this record could go back for several years. If you’re worried about hiring an untrustworthy nanny, the criminal background is one of the first things to look into. These checks can also reveal details about the person’s employment history and credentials. If you’re looking for a nanny with lots of experience, it’s good to perform a check on their full job history. You may find that some nannies lie on their application to secure better jobs.

What Else to Look for When Choosing a Nanny

Aside from checking your nanny’s general background, you may also want to conduct a reference check. It’s normal for most nanny applicants to provide references from their previous employers. You can get in touch with them and check details on the candidate. Ask them when they started work and for how long. You can also ask about the general duties they performed and how well they responded to directions. It’s important to check through all the references and make sure that the candidate’s information matches up with what the references tell you. These past employers will also be able to give you an idea of whether the nanny fits with you and your family.

The driving record of your potential nanny is also important. If you need your nanny to drive your children around at any point, it’s a good idea to make sure they’re competent and safe behind the wheel. A background check can also reveal driving records. Specifically, charges relating to dangerous driving and other offenses. The background check won’t reveal traffic tickets but should show any serious charges. Depending on how serious these are and how long ago they happened, these can be cause for alarm. You wouldn’t want your child to be unsafe when in the car with their nanny.

Finally, it’s also important to make sure that your family is comfortable around their new nanny. Arrange an informal meeting where you can all get to know each other together. This is a good chance to see how the candidate interacts with your children and whether they’re a good fit.