On a seemingly normal day, mother Sandra Lopez had left her 3 children in the care of a family friend, Berny Figueroa. Sandra thought her to be trustworthy, but was unaware of Figueroa’s violent tendencies, which unfortunately turned deadly. A nightmare for any parent, Sandra is now forced to cope with the murder of her daughter, while Berny Figueroa remains at large.
Our children are our most precious resource, so it can be tough to find someone you trust to look after your kids when you can’t be around. When hiring a babysitter, you want to be sure you are leaving your kid in good hands. We’ve compiled a list of some of the most important criteria from Kids Health and the Red Cross that you should consider both in choosing your babysitter, and in making sure they’re prepared for an emergency while looking after your kids.
- Make sure your sitter can provide you with solid references, and follow up. You want to be sure your babysitter is mature, has good common sense, and will follow your instructions.
- Talk to your neighbors, friends, co-workers or other parents at your place of worship to see if someone can recommend a trustworthy babysitter.
- When you interview your sitter, ask them about safety basics. Do they know CPR for young children or the Heimlich maneuver? Make sure they know where your first-aid kid is located. Your local Red Cross or YMCA might have a list of babysitters who they have trained.
- Talk to your sitter in advance about your house rules, making sure they understand what is acceptable or not for both children and the sitter. Make sure to talk about all of your expectations before hand and that all of your rules are clear.
- Be sure that your sitter knows what to do in an emergency. You can never be too careful, so a sitter should always seek emergency help if they think it could be necessary. Make sure to keep all emergency numbers and contacts handy and quickly accessible.
We’ve got some more tips right here at the AMW Safety Center for making sure you are asking your babysitter the right questions
2 Comments on "Choosing The Right Babysitter"
humble
remember they can and do lie about alot to get your money, and gov. money money, background checks…ask local police dept. Not even then….many never have a police record…even though they should. Ask CPS… about any daycare. to see if any reports against have ever been filed and why?! also the outcome.
karen allen
what do i do when someone at a 3 star day care center takes my son’s prescription breathing treatment med. I pulled him out , now being cared for by a family member but i really want this cleared up and keep it from happening to another child. i guess most parents don’t check to see if meds are missing there. but i noticed and it took the director a day and a half to call me back. should i make a formal complaint to the state?
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