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When you hire a babysitter you are placing the welfare of your children in the babysitter's hands. The kids' safety and well being for those two to four or more hours that you are gone can be a happy experience for all-the sitter, the kids and parents. How do you know for sure? For sure you have thoroughly vetted your sitter, haven't you? References, background checks etc. all to make sure your sitter is who he or she says they are. You cannot be too sure can you? After all we are talking about your kids. When you hire a nanny you need to make sure that she is the best person for the job. You do not, after all, just want to leave your kids with just anyone.

Start your search at least 2 to 3 months before you go back to work so you have enough time to make a thoughtful decision. Ask friends and neighbors for recommendations. Before hiring or accepting an offer to baby-sit from relatives or friends, be sure they are qualified to care for your child and that you would feel comfortable giving those instructions or disagreeing with them on child-care issues that are important to you. Avoid hiring someone who is looking for something to do until a better offer comes along. To find candidates, check with a local agency that provides training and placement for in-home providers. Ask your doctor for names.

Check child-care ads and place your own help-wanted ad in your local newspaper, local college career services office, and community bulletin board or newsletter. Specify the hours and days you need child care, your child's age, the general area in which you live (but don't give your address), and whether or not you want the sitter to live in or have a driver's license. If you require a nonsmoker, say so. Your child's caregiver should have training in child development or have experience taking care of children. The caregiver should also appreciate the importance of stimulating your child's intellectual, social, and emotional development.

Using your hidden nanny cam, you can make a decision regarding hiring your new nanny. Even if you missed something during the interview, the strategically-placed spy camera will show you exactly what your missed. You need to hire a person that you can trust which your children. Also before you hire the nanny make sure the children are comfortable around her. There is nothing worse than hiring a nanny who if perfect but the children do not like her. If the children do not like her then they are not going to listen to her very well. So make sure that the children like her that way you will get respect from both the nanny and your children.

Listen to your gut feeling, even if you are under the gun because you need help immediately. Ask whether or not they're available the hours you need them, their salary needs, how long they can commit to the job, what interests them about child care, what kind of work they have done in the past, and when they can start. Invite the best candidates to your home for an interview. Some parents develop a job application form to make the hiring process more formal and professional. Once you have a candidate in mind, contact at least three former employers and three personal references. Ask former employers about the candidate's responsibilities, his or her strengths and weaknesses and the ages of the children that they have worked with.