Hello,
When considering a childcare provider, do you always do a thorough background check or simply ask for references ?
What are the most convenient and/or efficient way of doing a background check ?
:huh:
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Hello,
When considering a childcare provider, do you always do a thorough background check or simply ask for references ?
What are the most convenient and/or efficient way of doing a background check ?
:huh:
Hi admin
This forum does not have a lot of parents...I mean parents who are not providers:)
It is sad but I hope that they would at least check some topics at the time of need.
Pretty much background checks are very informal...many times we go with instincts.
I hope parents take background checks seriously. I did not do mine well and ended up repenting. At least my experience taught me something.
Personally I don`t think the background checks are as necessary as some would have you believe. I can see it for someone that wants to work in daycare but has no kids of their own and is just starting out because there is little information to base a decision on. But if a caregiver had done anything that would be picked up in the background check - against a child the reality is the CAS would have stepped in and taken the caregivers own children into safe custody and the caregiver wouldn`t be able to give many years worth of references from satisfied customers.
I understand why organizations have the requirement and it is mainly to protect themselves legally down the road should anything happen.
A background check is also something not everyone can get because it requires photo ID so for anyone that doesn`t have a drivers license, passport or immigration card with a photo they are out of luck. Also the backlog in some areas especially spring as students are looking for jobs and fall when they need to do vollunteer work can be a couple months. Again there may better ways to get the information. As a caregiver I have had over the years a couple parents that I later found out information about that might have been picked up in a background check. Sometimes I think as caregivers it would be more important to get checks done on the parents that are going to come to our house - as in adults on the premises when we are there alone with the kids than it is for parents to require background checks of caregivers.
I have to have a current criminal record check for my business's insurance. It is also a point of relief for clients who are leaving their first child with me. My husband also has one.
As I have two businesses, and for insurance purposes, I have to have a police check. Now, this year, because of the dancing, I have to get an Enhanced Police Check.
I think references speak volumes! A piece of paper doesn't mean you are a good person, kwim? If I was in the market for a childcare provider, I would certainly make sure that I asked my provider for referrences from past and current clients.
I would want to know from these past clients what their experience was with the provider and if they were unhappy, left on bad terms, etc. I would also speak to the current clients to see if they were happy with the provider.
JMO
you should ask someone to reffer you a good childcare service and there you dont need to do a background check.
I always preferred to choose the reference
The background checks just mean that you haven't been caught (if you are doing anything that you shouldn't be!!)
I would take personal references and following my gut instinct over a background check any day. If I was a parent and wanted one, I would offer to pay for it for a hdcp. I would also show up a bit early a day or two to see what is happening when my hdcp isn't expecting me.