Tips on Finding a Babysitter

The best sources of information about childcare providers are the recommendations of family, friends, and neighbors. You may also advertise for a babysitter through your local high school, religious organization, civic organization, or other sources you trust. If you are new to the area, check the yellow pages of the telephone book, under "Baby Sitting Services," for a list of childcare services.

Certain sitting services advertise the fact their sitters are "bonded." This means the babysitting service has purchased an insurance bond to cover certain damages or loss of your property; however, the bond most likely will not protect your children in any way. Determine whether the sitting service has made a criminal-history check on or otherwise screened its employees.

In some states you may be able to obtain a listing of childcare services through the County Office for Children or even local law enforcement. Look in your telephone book under "County Government" or call your local law-enforcement agency. Childcare services are licensed, and you may be able to receive recommendations or check references through the licensing body.

How to find a babysitter in your area, is going to require you to do a little research. For example, you will need to look into various rates other individuals in your area pay their sitters, and consider the amount of time the sitter will need to be with your child or children. It is important that you first make a few lists to use as an outline when you are interviewing prospective sitters.

The next thing you should do is ask for references of past baby sitting employers and get the phone numbers. Call these individuals and ask why your applicant is no longer employed with them, if their were any issues with them handling the children and things of this nature. This will help you in determining if the person is decent or if he/she has had issues in the past with sitting.

Ask for personal references. Call those people as well to try and figure out what type of person you might be dealing with.

Once you have narrowed your applicants down to a few you should consider doing a background check on each of them. This is usually the weighing factor for most caregivers when they hire a new child care provider, especially if it is not going to be a day care facility.

Click here to learn more about how to find a good babysitter.

Questions to Ask a Potential Babysitter

When looking for a babysitter, one of the most important components in your decision about whether to hire a particular candidate will be the interview. When employing a babysitter, ask questions regarding their experience, their extra curricular activities and where they live in order to gather useful information about whether or not they're dependable and reliable.

Questions About Previous Experience

1. What previous experience do you have?
2. How many families have you babysat for?
3. What are the ages of the children you've babysat for in the past?
4. What is the most important thing you've learned from your previous babysitting experience?
5. Why do you want to continue babysitting?
6. Can you provide me with the names and addresses of three previous employers?

Questions About Your House Rules

1. Are you familiar with our house rules?
2. Do you have any questions about these rules?
3. How will you enforce these rules?
4. What will you do when the children try to bend or break the rules?
5. How will you respond when the children follow the rules?

Questions About Handling Emergencies

1. What experience do you have handling emergencies?
2. What number would you call in an emergency?
3. How would you reach me?
4. What's the first thing you would do if there were a fire?
5. What would you do if the electricity went out?

Questions About Play Time

1. What games do you like to play with the kids?
2. If I came home unexpectedly, what might you be doing?
3. What will you do while the TV is off?
4. How will you involve the kids with meals and snacks?
5. What creative things do you like to do while you're babysitting?

Questions About Compensation

1. What is the hourly rate that you charge for your services?
2. How would you like to be paid, with cash or a check?
3. How often do you expect to be paid?

These questions will help you to find a babysitter, which would suit you the most.