Site Helps With Finding Safe Sitters For Kids, Pets

Baby sitters, pet sitters or care for aging parents -- it's hard figuring out whom you can trust.

NBC 10's Dawn Timmeney showed how the simple click of a mouse can help you find a reliable sitter.

The online resource for parents, Care.com, comes complete with background checks and references.

Sitter Gets Expensive Lesson On Check Schemes

An Omaha college student cashed a check for baby-sitting services, only to learn she was caught up in a wire transfer scheme.

Stephanie Schaefer, 20, said she lists her baby-sitting services on SitterCity.com. The page is a resource for parents who need help watching their children.

Investigators Launch Nanny Background Check Site

Adding to their their ever-growing areas of expertise, web-based investigators Jim Stewart and Jay Alberts have launched a new site dedicated to providing parents with background checks for prospective nannies or babysitters.

NannyBackgroundSearch.com, officially launched on Tuesday, October 30, offers parents and childcare establishments the opportunity to check out the history of their applicants. Among the searches offered are standard background search fare such as criminal history, sex offenses and violent offender database search. But this sleuthing duo also makes the point that it isn't just the kids that are susceptible to criminally-minded nannies.

Work & Family Mailbox

Q: I need to hire a nanny. Can you offer tips for background checks? How can I cover the basics without launching an FBI investigation?
D.P., Plano, Texas

A: For candidates over 18, a background check is a good idea and can usually be done for roughly $100 to $200 or less. The first step is to verify a candidate's Social Security number and past addresses; this tells you where to search for any arrest or criminal records, says Michael Gerard, executive director of Sitter Cafe (www.sittercafe.com), Solon, Ohio, an online sitter search service. Second, you'll need a county criminal-records check from each county where the candidate has lived, to uncover any assault, theft, check-kiting or disorderly conduct cases -- "the common types of convictions you're looking for," Mr. Gerard says. Third, you'll need a check of criminal and sex-offender records in the states where the candidate has lived. You also should have the candidate's driving and credit records checked, Mr. Gerard says.

How well do you know your Nanny or Babysitter?

Investigation News - How well do you know your Nanny or Babysitter? - PInow.com Investigator Directory: "Babysitter and nanny checks can help you find the right caregiver for your child.

If you are hiring a nanny, au pair, babysitter, tutor, or child caregiver of any kind, you need to check carefully. The news is full of stories of children who have been abused, hurt, and even killed through the recklessness or instability of the adult who was entrusted to care for them. Sadly, behind each of these headlines is a real-life tragedy. You do not want this to happen to you, so if you rely on anyone to care for your child - whether for weeks or just a few hours, you should consider running a thorough nanny check or babysitter check.

Experts recommend that at the very least you check:

1) References. This means more than glancing at the names a caregiver has printed on their resume. Call each reference and ask very specific questions: How long have you known this person? How did you find this caregiver? Can you give some specific examples of what the caregiver did right? Can you give an example of something you were unpleased with? How long did this person care for your child or children? Would you hire this person again? Why do you no longer hire this person (if this is the case)? Remember: caregivers can ask friends and..."