Wall Street Journal has researched situations of criminal negligence under the supervision of “caregivers” who advertised themselves on Care.com. Although there is no “standard” or legal requirement to do nanny background checks, parents should take it upon themselves to take the initiative above and beyond what a service provider may conduct. Parents should consider themselves employers hiring a potential employee and should conduct screening as such. While it’s best to work with a professional screening agency, parents can run their own background screening on a nanny. They should first get permission to run a background check before asking for basic identifying information. A criminal background check should be ordered through a credible provider. Checking the National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW), as well as motor vehicle records, is also a good idea.
