How to Do a Background Check on a Prospective Nanny

In today's world, when seemingly docile nannies turn out to be baby killers and church pastors turn out to be drunken drivers (or, worst yet, child molesters), doing a background check is sound advice. Whether you're in need of a childcare provider, a machine operator, or a truck driver, a background check can provide telling information and may prevent you from hiring a dangerous person.

Most record checks will cost money, but usually not more than $20 or so. You can require that prospect employees pay a fee, take it out of their wages once they're working for you, or pay just the fees yourself. At tax time you may be able to deduct any background check fees incurred. Check with your accountant or contact your local IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center for more information.

CRIMINAL RECORD CHECK

This type of background check looks at a person's criminal history. It has a couple of big drawbacks. First, it doesn't check records across the United States. It's hard even to get a person's criminal background records for just one state. Certain states won't conduct a statewide search. Other states require the person's fingerprints.

Some state searches can take years to get finished, so you might want to do it yourself. A private detective or a security company can be hired to conduct the search. You can also see if the childcare provider has already had one done and ask for a copy of it.

COURT RECORD CHECK

This is a free search that you can do at your state's repository or courthouse. Court records are public information. Be aware, though, that each state has its own way of indexing criminal and civil records; some court cases are not reported to the state. Make sure you also do a court record check at the county level.

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER TRACE

This type of check allows you to find out where a prospective employee has lived for the past seven years. Why is this important? It shows if that person is lying on their resume about where they've lived (and, consequently, worked). A social security number trace can be performed without the prospective employee's knowledge. This search can be performed by private investigators or online search companies and costs as little as $20.

DRIVING RECORD CHECK

A criminal record check might be sufficient, but in order to fully check a person's driving record, you'll want contact your state's Department of Motor Vehicles office. Driving records contain important information such as whether or not there's been a drunk driving conviction or a driving suspension.

A driving record check usually ranges in cost from $5 to $20, depending on which state you live in. The person whose record you're inquiring about will likely be contacted by someone from the Department of Motor Vehicles office, so you may want to let your prospective employee know about your intentions in advance.