>>JENNIFER WAUGH: THIS MORNING WE’RE ASKING AN EXPERT TO THE BEST WAY TO VET A POTENTIAL
BABYSITTER OUR KIDS ARE
PRECIOUS TO US. WE WANT TO
MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE SAFE
WHEN WE LEAVE THEM WITH A
SITTER. SO WE TURN TO KIDS SAY
FOUNDATION FOR SOME ADVICE.
FIRST, ONCE YOU’VE IDENTIFIED
A POTENTIAL BABYSITTER, HERE
ARE A FEW QUESTIONS THAT YOU
SHOULD ASK OVER THE PHONE TO
ELIMINATE ANY DEAL BREAKERS
BEFORE YOU SCHEDULE A
FACE-TO-FACE MEETING. DO THEY
SMOKE OR VAPE? DO THEY DRINK?
DO THEY HAVE A VALID DRIVER’S
LICENSE TO THEY HAVE
INSURANCE? DO THEY HAVE A
CLEAN RECORD? DON’T BE AFRAID
TO ASK THAT. DO THEY DO DRUGS
AND DO THEY KNOW CPR AND FIRST
AID IF THE POTENTIAL
BABYSITTER ANSWERS THOSE
QUESTIONS TO YOUR
SATISFACTION, THE NEXT STEP
SHOULD BE TO MEET FOR A SECOND
INTERVIEW. CHERIE BEEN JOSEPH
IS CO-FOUNDER AND CHIEF
PROGRAM. OFFICER OF KIDS SAY
FOUNDATION IS JOINING US LIVE
VIA ZOOM THIS MORNING. KIND OF
WALK US THROUGH WHAT YOU
SHOULD ASK NEXT. GOOD MORNING.
THANKS FOR BEING WITH US.
>> GOOD MORNING. JEFF. ARE
EXCITED TO BE HERE. SO YOU
SHOW IT TO YOU RECOMMEND A
SERIES OF SPECIFIC QUESTIONS.
I’D LIKE TO KIND OF WALK
THROUGH THAT. SO AMONG THEM.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: WHY DOES
THAT PERSON WANT TO BE A
BABYSITTER AND WHAT DO THEY
LIKE TO DO WITH KIDS? I MEAN,
THERE ARE SOME KEY RESPONSES
THAT YOU THINK ARE CRITICAL TO
THE WAY A POTENTIAL BABYSITTER
ANSWERS. THESE 2 QUESTIONS.
YES, COUPLE OF THINGS WILL SAY
FIRST IS THAT.
>> YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT
YOU DON’T START ANSWERING THE
QUESTIONS FOR THEM. WE FIND
THAT WE WANT TO FILLING THE
SILENCE. WE WANT TO LET THESE
PEOPLE ANSWER THE QUESTIONS
AND LISTEN BETWEEN THE LINES.
SO OF COURSE, WE WANT TO BE A
BABYSITTER BECAUSE THEY NEED A
JOB AND THEY WANT TO MAKE THEY
NEED MAKE MONEY. THAT’S OK,
BUT DO THEY EVER MENTION I
ENJOY WORKING WITH CHILDREN? I
ENJOY SPENDING TIME WITH
CHUCK. SO THAT’S IMPORTANT.
AND THEN WHAT YOU ASKED THE
QUESTION ABOUT WHAT ARE THEY
LIKE TO DO WITH KIDS, HOW THEY
SPEND THEIR TIME, ESPECIALLY
BABYSITTING DURING THE DAY.
YOU WANT TO HEAR IDEAS FROM
THEM AND YOU WANT TO HEAR AND
THEY SHOULDN’T. YOU WANT TO
HEAR A SENSE THAT THEY KNOW
YOUR CHILD’S AGE GROUP AND
MAYBE EVEN HAVE SOME FRESH
IDEAS BEFORE YOU START TALKING
ABOUT YOUR OWN CHILDREN, YOU
WANT TO SEE WHAT THEY HAVE TO
SAY.
>> AND LISTEN BETWEEN THE
LINES. AND I THINK THAT
PROBABLY WHAT WHAT GIVES MOST
OF US ANXIETY CERTAINLY IS IS
HOW THEY DISCIPLINE A CHILD.
HOW DO YOU START THAT
CONVERSATION? AND WHAT I MEAN?
IS THERE A RIGHT ANSWER TO
THIS QUESTION?
>> IT WELL, AND THERE’S A
RIGHT ANSWER FOR EACH OF US
THAT WE WANT TO HEAR AS A
PARENT AND WE TEND TO EITHER
NOT INTERVIEW A BABYSITTER AT
ALL. AND WE JUST TAKE IT OUT.
TAKE SOMEONE IN A
RECOMMENDATION FROM SOMEONE
ELSE OR WE GET SOMEONE ON THE
INTERNET OFF OF ONE OF THE
SITES THAT AMAZING BABYSITTING
SITES. BUT THE TRUTH IS, YOU
STILL AS AN INDIVIDUAL NEED TO
VET AND DO YOUR OWN DUE
DILIGENCE ASKED DIRECT
QUESTIONS JUST LIKE AND IF YOU
ARE HIRING SOMEONE FOR YOUR
OFFICE, THIS IS YOU’RE LEAVING
YOUR PRECIOUS CHILDREN WITH
THIS PERSON ASKED DIRECTLY HOW
DISCIPLINE CHILDREN AND THEN
WAIT TO HEAR WHAT THEY HAVE TO
SAY. DOESN’T JIVE WITH HOW YOU
DISCIPLINE YOUR CHILDREN.
WELL, THIS PERSON LISTEN TO
WHAT YOUR GOALS ARE AND WHAT
BENEFITS ARE AND FOLLOW. YOU
KNOW, FOLLOW YOUR EXAMPLE OR
DO YOU THINK THAT THIS IS NOT
GOING TO BE HOPEFUL AND
HEALTHY AND STATE?
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: FOR YOUR
CHILD. SO IT’S INTERESTING
BECAUSE IT IN GOING THROUGH
THE SUGGESTIONS THAT YOU MAKE
ON YOUR WEB SITE. ONE OF THEM
IS TO ASK THE PERSON JUST
STRAIGHT OUT THEIR THOUGHTS
ABOUT CHILD ABUSE.
>> CHILD ABUSE. YOU KNOW, WE
NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT AND THE
MORE WE TALK ABOUT IT, THE
BETTER WE CAN PREVENT IT. WE
KNOW THAT 90% OF THE TIME A
CHILD IS FOR ITS BY SOMEONE
THEY KNOW AND TRUST A
BABYSITTER WILL FALL UNDER
THAT CATEGORY. SO WE NEED TO
HEAR FROM THAT PERSON. WHAT’S
THEIR EXPERIENCE, WHETHER
THEY’RE CAUGHT? HAVE THEY HAVE
BEEN ACCUSED OF CHILD ABUSE?
DO THEY ARE AND DO THEY KNOW
THE FAMILY THAT WAS ABUSING
THEIR CHILDREN THAT THEY WORK
FOR? JUST START TALKING ABOUT
IT AND THEN YOU CAN SHARE WHAT
YOUR BELIEFS ARE AND WHAT
YOU’RE TEACHING YOUR OWN
CHILDREN. BECAUSE THE KEY IS
WHEN THEY HEAR THAT THIS CHILD
IS A KNOWLEDGEABLE CHILD ABOUT
THEIR BODY PARTS AND ALL OF
CHILD ABOUT WHAT HOPING
COUNTIES ARE AND THAT THIS
PARENTS TALK TO THEIR CHILD
ABOUT THEIR PERSONAL SAFETY.
THAT BABYSITTER KNOWS RIGHT
OFF THE BAT IF I WANT TO HARM
THIS CHILD, THIS IS NOT GOING
TO BE AN EASY TARGET. THIS
FAMILY KNOWS WHAT THEY’RE
DOING, ALTHOUGH SOMEWHERE
ELSE. AND IT’S ACTUALLY A WAY
SCREENING AND ALSO ABOUT
OPENING UP THE CONVERSATION
BECAUSE YOU NEED TO FEEL THE
SAY, HEY, THIS IS HOW WE DO
THINGS. THESE ARE RULES. THESE
ARE AND I ALSO WANT YOU TO
TAKE A AND CHILD ABUSE
PREVENTION THAT WE DO IT. KIDS
SAFE SO THAT YOU CAN BE THE
BEST AND MOST PROFESSIONAL
WITH MY
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: AND ONE OF
THE MOST IMPORTANT DECISIONS
PROBABLY MAKING YOUR LIFE IS
HOW TO CHOOSE SOMEONE WHO IS
NOT RELATED TO YOU TO TAKE
CARE OF YOUR CHILD THE WAY
THAT THEY SHOULD BE TAKEN
CARE. SHERRY, THANK YOU FOR
YOUR TIME THIS MORNING.
FANTASTIC INFORMATION. AND I
WANT TO OUT FOR OUR VIEWERS
ALSO, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO
DOWNLOAD ALL OF THE QUESTIONS
HELPING YOU VET A BABYSITTER
BECAUSE WE’RE ONLY ABLE TO
TOUCH ON 3 OR 4. YOU CAN GO TO
KIDS SAY FOUNDATION DOT ORG
AND DOWNLOAD THAT
QUESTIONNAIRE. YOU KNOW, YOU
CAN ALSO CHECK SOMEONE’S
CRIMINAL BACKGROUND WITH THE
JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF’S OFFICE
BY GOING TO POLICE
HEADQUARTERS DOWNTOWN OR ANY
ONE OF THE 6 SUBSTATIONS. YOU
DO NEED TO HAVE THAT PERSON’S
NAME AND DATE OF BIRTH. YOU
CAN RECEIVE THE REPORT WHILE
YOU WAIT. IT’S $0.15 PER PAGE,
BY THE WAY, OR YOU CAN GO TO
JACK SHERIFF DOT ORG AND
FOLLOW THE LINKS FOR PUBLIC
RECORDS TO TAKE YOU TO THAT
INFORMATION. ONE OTHER POINT I
WANT TO MAKE, I’M JUST TELLING
YOU ABOUT DUVAL COUNTY CALL
YOUR LOCAL COUNTY IF YOU LIVE
IN SAINT JOHNS OR CLAY OR
NASSAU AND ASKED THEM HOW YOU
CAN DO A CRIMINAL BACKGROUND
CHECK ON SOMEONE ALSO THAT
YOU’RE INVITING INTO YOUR
HOME. YOU KNOW, THEY’RE GOING
TO BE THERE WITHOUT YOU.
THERE. WE ALSO ASKED OUR
VIEWERS, BY THE WAY, WHAT IS
THE GOING RATE RIGHT NOW TO
HIRE A BABYSITTER PER HOUR AND
WE HEARD FROM ONE GRANDMOTHER
WE HEARD FROM SEVERAL PEOPLE,
ONE GRANDMOTHER IN PARTICULAR
WHO RIGHT? SHE’S PAYING $20 AN
HOUR FOR A BABYSITTER TO WATCH
HER. 3 YEAR-OLD TWIN
GRANDDAUGHTERS. SO THAT’S FOR
MORE THAN ONE CHILD. $20 AN
HOUR. I AND THEN ANOTHER TOLD
US THAT SHE IS PAYING $20 AN
HOUR OR BAILEY EXCUSE ME SAYS
THAT SHE HAS BEEN A BABYSITTER
FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND IS
CERTIFIED IN CPR. FIRST AID
AND CHARGES, $14 AN HOUR, AN
ADDITIONAL $2 PER HOUR PER
CHILD IS A LOT MORE EXPENSIVE
THAN WHEN MY KIDS WERE YOUNG.
I’LL TELL YOU, SHANNON TELLS
US SHE PAYS $23 PER HOUR FOR
HER 3 KIDS AND STARTED HER
BABYSITTER AT $20 AN HOUR LAST
YEAR KNOW OBVIOUSLY HAS
INCREASED. THAT’S AND SHE’S
BEEN SO PLEASED WITH THE WORK.
HOW SEVERAL OF YOU WEIGHED IN.
WE FOUND THAT THEY PAY OR
CHARGE BETWEEN 12 AND $20 AN