Compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, and without a statewide database tracking abusive babysitters, an I-team investigation found there are several steps parents should take to properly vet a babysitter for any risks or potential criminal history.
Charlie and Jennifer Samaan’s three daughters love spending time with their babysitters, but before anyone watches their girls, the Centerville parents do their research.
“We’ve got a select few babysitters that we keep on hand that we trust,” Jennifer Samaan said.
Samaan said her criteria has changed a bit since the pandemic started.
Stacie Pelton, an American Red Cross babysitter, CPR, and first aid instructor said that is a good thing.
“I think that at this point when you ask someone to come into your home you can’t ask too many questions,” Pelton said.
Parents, Pelton said, should ask babysitters if they have been exposed to the virus. Samaan said she asks potential babysitters if they have been around any large crowds.
She and her husband also look into any criminal history someone may have.
“There’s all kinds of reasons to vet a babysitter,” Montgomery Co. Sheriff Rob Streck said.
In the last eight months, the Montgomery Co. Sheriff’s Office has been called to six reported babysitter abuse cases.
“I definitely think it’s probably something that’s underreported,” Streck said.
To look into a sitter’s past, parents need to know how to work with and around county and state records systems. While juvenile records are protected, Streck said young people post a lot about themselves online.
“You can still look at Facebook and Instagram and things like that,” Streck said.
Investigating adults is different. Clark County Clerk of Courts Melissa Tuttle said there is no database tracking abusive babysitters.
“That would really require the laws to change,” Tuttle said.
However, parents can use court records to check up on someone’s criminal history.
“You’re giving people the trust so anything that’s dealing with violence is a concern, because you’re trusting them with your kids. But you’re also inviting them into your home, so you’re also worried about theft,” Tuttle said. “If there was drug abuse, whatever you wouldn’t want around your kids.”
Streck said if parents have the babysitter’s full name, social security number, and drivers license number, the sheriff’s office can run a free basic background check that will show offenses in the county. For $40 the sheriff’s office will run a babysitter background check through the state’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation, but the babysitter must make the request.
Streck also said parents can pay a private company, like Lexus Nexus, to run a search.
“It’s just always a good thing to know who is in your home and what kind of background do they have and how much can I trust them with pretty much everything that’s important in my life,” Streck said.
Streck, Tuttle, and Pelton all stressed the importance of interviewing babysitters before leaving them with children and checking their references.
“Don’t risk your child’s life,” Tuttle said.
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