Tips on Finding the Right Sitter for Your Child

It is always important to do your homework when seeking a qualified childcare worker to bring into your home. This is especially important when your family has a child with special needs. Whether you are looking for a one-night out or a part-time or full-time regular sitter, you should spend the time to take the necessary steps to screen a sitter and find the best match and safest option for your family. Here are some steps that you can use when looking for an in-home childcare professional:

·       Assess your need: research the appropriate pay based on your need.( i.e., number of children and experience)

·      Obtain qualified applicants: You will want to advertise for sitters in a multitude of locations to get a large pool of qualified candidates to choose from. Be specific in your advertisement when looking for sitters with special needs experience.

·       In Person interview: Find several candidates to conduct interviews in-person and have your applicant sign a background screening waiver so that you can conduct a screening on the applicant.

·      Level of desire: be sure that when conducting your interviews you are identifying that the sitter has a strong level of desire to work with children with special needs and it is a passion.

·      Past Employer Check: Verify reliability through the three most recent employers.

·      Verify References: Check at least three childcare related references as you want to make sure the applicant has the experience level that you need for your family. Request references of families that have children with special needs.

·      CPR and First Aid: When any childcare professional is working in your home, you should verify that they have CPR and First Aid training.

·      Perform a thorough background screening. I feel this is your most important step as this will give you a behind the scenes understanding into the worker’s character and how she will react in certain situations. Make sure to find a reputable background screening company that screens each applicant’s personal character history, address history, criminal and civil records as well as credit history records.

·      Consider a play date: Before you choose a sitter, bring her into your home to watcher her interact with your children. Pay close attention to ensure her experience with special needs children is present in her activities.

·      Set clear expectations: Once you have selected your childcare worker, you want to set very clear expectations for the sitter to make sure she has an understanding of what you expect in the home.

It is important to always have a safe and smooth sitting experience when having a childcare worker in your home. This is what we strive for at SeekingSitters, to help families with the above steps as they may be overwhelming for some parents looking for someone to care for their little ones with or without special needs. For more information about SeekingSitters service or our sitter screening process, please visit www.seekingsitters.com.