One of the things every responsible parent should do is a nanny background check on each and every applicant they are seriously considering hiring to take care of his or her kids. Of course, before paying the money to do an extensive nanny background check; you should do an extensive interview yourself.

Make sure you ask any prospective nanny these questions:

* What makes you think you want to be a nanny?

* What part of taking care of children makes you want this job?

* Why did you leave your previous job?

* When and how do you discipline a child?

* Mental development for my child is very important to me. How do you engage their minds that is different from other nanny's?

* What can you offer my kids to enhance their physical development that sets you apart from the other people who are applying for this job?

* What do you do to promote learning?

* Have you ever taught art and music to kids? How did you go about it?

* Do you have experience playing outside as well as inside?

* What do you like to do outside of work?

* How do you handle a kids that's throwing a fit for no justifiable reason?

After the interview, let your prospect know that as a matter of due diligence you will be running their name through a verifiable background check. If doing a check becomes a major issue to them, it's time to pass them over and look for a candidate that you can feel safe and secure about.

Make sure you get your nanny job applicant to complete a routine job application. This should include how to contact them, where they've lived in the past, where they've worked and any people that would provide them a job reference.

Verify that the entire job application is completed. Verify that all information is present and includes their driver's license and social security numbers along with their date and place of birth. Now follow up on the references they provide and make sure they are accurate. If a reference can't be reached, have them provide an alternate one.

Have your prospective nanny sign a consent form and provide a copy of their photo id.

Make sure your background check for the nanny includes:

Identity Verification: Check out the drivers license and social security numbers to make sure that they are legitimate and really do belong to your nanny candidate.

DMV Records: Checking the applicant's driving record might seem mundane. After all, just because he or she got a lot of speeding tickets does not mean that he or she would be a bad nanny. What you want to look for are records of drunk or reckless driving. DMV records can also include accident reports if there are any - including accidents in which the applicant was a victim.

Financial Records: This is a good way to verify the accuracy of the information your candidate gave you. It will show their previous employers and previous addresses in addition to how well they manage their money. If they're habitually late in payments, perhaps they are living beyond their means and may even be tempted to steal from you to make their payments!

Criminal Records: A criminal record check is imperative to the safety of your kids. You might be surprised to find criminal activity that you can't live with - including that of being a convicted sex offender.

You don't want to regret hiring the wrong nanny because you didn't want to take the time to do a background check. A qualified candidate will actually prefer that you run a background check on them because it proves that you really are concerned about your child and it will form a bond between you and the nanny since there is nothing to hide!