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Hiring a nanny is a process that involves searching, interviewing, checking references and extending an offer to the right candidate, while the final step is conducting nanny background checks. Your offer should be contingent on the outcome of the results your nanny screening service provides.
What Should You or Your Nanny Screening Service Check?
It's hard to imagine that in this era of the Internet and computerization there is no reliable national criminal database for nanny background checks that is accessible by the public. The "gold standard" for background checks for nannies is to first have a nanny screening service search using her Social Security Number to see where she has lived in the past seven years. This is done so that a decision can be made on which counties should be searched. Yes, that's right; these searches are done county by county, not nationally. Few states have a reliable criminal index that is suitable for nanny background checking because nannies tend to commit misdemeanors and these databases generally don't have records of minor offenses or of people that didn't go to prison. Many states don't have statewide indexes at all.
Which counties should a nanny screening service search?
Obviously the safest method for performing your nanny background checks is to have your nanny screening service check each county, but in some cases this can get quite costly. A fairly typical scenario may be a nanny who left home to go to college, after which she may have changed schools and then moved again after graduation. So let's say she's 23 now and there are five years that can be searched since she turned 18.
- 2001 lived at home, 18 years old
- 2001-2003 moved for college
- 2003-2005 lived at her second college
- 2005- moved after graduation to another city
In this case, since she turned 18 at home and moved shortly thereafter, the duration of time spent at her home residence and the city she moved to after graduation is brief. For someone who wanted to hold their costs down, the two most likely locations for the nanny background service to check would be the two cities she lived in from 2001-2005. Again, if you want to be absolutely certain and costs are not an issue, you would need to perform your nanny background checks on each place that appears on the Social Security address check. Keep in mind that the Social Security address verifier is only from credit records and may not be fully accurate.
What other types of background checks for nannies can be performed?
Driving records are very important to include in your nanny background checks if there is driving involved in your job. A credit report can be ordered by you or your nanny screening service if you feel that information may be important to your decision. There is a Sexual Offenders list that can be checked as well. There are numerous other reports that may be ordered if you feel the need.
How do I or my nanny screening service perform the check?
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (which applies to more than just credit checks) requires that you have a written release from your nanny to perform the check. This form is downloaded and filled out by the family and then completed and signed by the nanny and provided to the nanny screening service, if you choose to use one.
What are the limitations of the nanny background checks?
Every nanny screening service that does these checks warns that these reports cannot guarantee complete accuracy. Also, there is a charge for each type of check that you order, so figuring out your budget ahead of time can help you prioritize which type of checks to run.
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