How to hire a babysitter
Babysitters and nannies care for children in your home — occasional evenings through to full-time care, where background checks, references and emergency preparedness matter far more than hourly rate.
What the job usually involves
- Occasional evening and weekend babysitting.
- Regular after-school care and school runs.
- Full-time or part-time nanny positions.
- Newborn and infant care.
- Care for a child with additional needs, with relevant experience.
What to ask before you agree to anything
- Have you had a background check, and when — can I see it or run one?
- Can I contact two references who employed you for this kind of care?
- Are you trained in infant and child CPR and first aid, and is it current?
- How would you handle a medical emergency, and what would you do first?
- What ages have you cared for, and for how long?
- Do you drive, and would my children be in your car?
- What is your policy on screens, discipline and food?
Warning signs
- Reluctance to provide references, or references who cannot be reached.
- No background check, and resistance to you arranging one.
- Vague or shifting answers about previous families and dates.
- Unwillingness to do a paid trial session while you are at home.
- No first aid training for infant care.
Common questions
What should I check before hiring a babysitter?
Run a background check, speak to at least two references who actually employed them, confirm current CPR and first aid training, and do a paid trial while you are in the house. Nothing in a profile substitutes for talking to someone who has left their own children with this person.
What is the difference between a babysitter and a nanny?
A babysitter usually covers occasional short periods, while a nanny is regular ongoing care, often with responsibility for routines, meals and activities. Nannies are frequently employees rather than casual help, which brings tax and employment obligations — worth checking with an accountant for anything regular.
Should a babysitter know first aid?
For infants and toddlers, treat current infant CPR and choking training as a requirement rather than a bonus. Ask when it was last renewed, and ask what they would do first in an emergency — the answer tells you whether the certificate is meaningful.
What should I leave for a babysitter?
Emergency numbers including yours and a second adult, your address written down for a 911 call, allergies and medications with dosing, your paediatrician, the routine, and where the first aid kit and exits are. Written, not verbal.
How does Region Beacon work for babysitters?
You describe the job once. The first nearby business that takes it gets your details and contacts you; nobody else does. You deal with whoever you pick directly, and you pay them directly — Region Beacon never handles the money and takes no commission, so nothing is added to your price for using it.
How do I know if a babysitter's quote is fair?
Get more than one. A single quote tells you what one business charges; three tell you what the job is worth where you live. Ask each for the same scope in writing, and treat a quote far below the others as probably missing something rather than a bargain.
Get quotes from babysitters and nannies near you
Describe the job once and the first nearby business to take it contacts you. Only that one gets your details, no commission is added, and your details are not sold on to anyone.