Baby Sitters

• What is a baby-sitter?
• Does a baby-sitter need to be registered?
• What should you look for in a baby-sitter?
• What do baby-sitters need to know?
• What do you need to provide for the baby-sitter?

What is a baby-sitter?

Usually someone who cares for your child/children at your home in the evenings.

Does a baby-sitter need to be registered?

To date there is no specific regulations governing baby-sitters.It is therefore the parents responsibility to decide on the suitability of prospective baby-sitters.

Leaving your child/children to the care of someone else is a big responsibility.

If the baby-sitter is under 16 yrs old, you should be aware that you take full responsibility should anything happen to the children left in the babysitters care.

What should you look out for in a baby-sitter?

You should address:

• their maturity and competence
• their ability to cope in emergency situations
• their ideas on house rules, unknown visitors etc
• their attitudes to coping with unacceptable behaviour in young children
• what Television programmes they consider suitable for young children
• their ideas on consistency of care

What do baby-sitters need to know?

• The address and telephone number where you can be contacted
• The approximate time you can be expected home
• How they will be getting home
• What to do in an emergency, the contact number of a neighbour or close friend who may give you help and assistance quickly
• Your child/children's routine, do they usually have a bedtime story?
• Any allergies or illnesses your child may suffer from, what to do in these situations
• What to do if your child/children play up or are distressed
• What your child/children are allowed/not allowed to do
• What television programmes, if any, they are allowed to watch
• What time they go to bed

What do you need to provide for the baby-sitter?

• You may provide a snack or supper for the baby-sitter
• You may be asked if a friend of the baby-sitter may keep them company or not
• Payment. Be clear what you will be paying the baby-sitter and for how many hours

Parents are recommended to choose people who take their responsibilities as a baby-sitter seriously. The care of yourchild/children is in their hands and the least you can do is to acknowledge their commitment to being prepared for all possible occurrences.

For More Information:

Contact Information
Send us a Message	Tameside Families Information Service Tameside Early Years Quality Development Centre Manchester Road Audenshaw M34 5GJ View local map
0161 342 5434
0161 342 5448