By conducting a lengthy interview you will begin to get a sense of the potential caregiver's point of view on various topics and some idea about how the person will interact not just with your children but with you and your spouse. Remember to trust your instinct. If you ever feel uncomfortable thank the candidate for their time and move on to the next applicant.

In addition to verifying work references, make sure to run a criminal background check. These services are readily available via the Internet. This is an important step. The International Nanny Association reports that five percent of nanny applicants have some sort of criminal background. Similar questions should be asked of the directors of child care centers. You may want to clarify some of the following points:

Is there an open door visit policy for parents?
What happens if your child becomes ill?
How do you monitor the children while they're at play?
How many children do you have here?
When is the facility closed?

Your list of questions may indeed seem never ending, but when it comes to your children, you would want the best. Better to ask too many questions than too few.

Potential Problems

When all is said and done, what you really want is for your child to be happy. So if John or Jane appears withdrawn, distant or just different, take heed. Did you arrive home from work to find your child in the kitchen alone and Nanny sound asleep upstairs? Not a good sign. What if the caregiver has lied to you? Also not good. Does the nanny make you uncomfortable in some way? These are all warning signs of potential serious problems.

What about problems from your side? Are you making the nanny uncomfortable in some way and if so, is this effecting how the caregiver performs? Remember that caregivers need time for themselves apart from arranging child care activities. Caregivers need days off and time to socialize and spend time alone. Make sure you are taking your nanny's needs into consideration as well. Ultimately, you have to remember that childcare is a joint responsibility.

At the end of the day, there's no formula for choosing the right setting for your chil d. Some parents base the decision on child care activities offered, others base their choice on religious preference or discipline style. Whether you select child care centers or home based options, following your parental instinct is the most important thing.

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