Not many things are more upsetting than discovering that your child has been abused, in any way, by your babysitter. People think that to be a babysitter means you must be a nice person. WRONG! Some of the nicest people turned out to be Serial Killers, so don't ever give a Babysitter the benefit of the doubt. Unless you have a good friend and neighbor who happens to be an experienced nanny, the best place to go for prospective childcare providers are nanny agencies. These agencies usually perform preliminary background checks - education, experience, personal references, and even psychological testing - copies of which should be forwarded to you.
Also, nanny agencies can have policies and draft agreements on nanny cams that you can refer to. You have to clearly understand these policies so that you can search for other agencies should you find them unsuitable to your needs. You should not rely on the documentary personal references alone. Call the persons listed in the resume as character references. You can ask questions like work performance, duties and responsibilities, and even reaction to nanny cams. You must, however, introduce yourself and state the reason for your call.
You should be as thorough as possible about performing background checks. This does not mean that you have to enlist the Federal Bureau of Investigation, only that you must insist that all background checks are completed by the agency. Incomplete background checks can lead to abuse and neglect being captured on your nanny cams. Even if the nanny performed well in past employments, you might just be unlucky enough to be the victim of nanny duplicity. You should avoid hiring nannies on the first interview. You can conduct two personal interviews at the minimum, where you can ask questions like childcare philosophy and ideas, personal interests, discuss compensation package and work expectations, and opinions on nanny cams. The disclosure and discussion on nanny cams is a must.
You can give the prospective nanny the opportunity to back out of the hiring process without negative implications should she express hesitance with their presence. After the two personal interviews, you also need to conduct a working interview. You can observe how she interacts with the children (under your supervision) as well as study how the children take to her. Only after being satisfied with the above procedures should you consider hiring the nanny. Before actually employing the nanny, be sure to formulate a detailed work agreement signed by you and the nanny.
As a matter of fact most people would agree that it is a good idea in the beginning to sit back and observe how this person handles situations and interacts with your child. How is that any different then installing a Nanny Cam for the times you are not at home? In both situations you are observing an employee and how they follow the guidelines that you have set up. Deciding whether or not to install a Nanny Cam is a highly personal choice to be made by you. Likewise, telling the nanny that you have installed one is also up to you. When it comes to your Childs welfare you cannot be too careful.