Babysitting

Often used to allow parent and carers to socialise in the evening, babysitters provide unregistered childcare, usually for short periods of time.

What is a babysitter?

A babysitter is someone who will come into your home and look after your child or children while you go out for a short period of time, usually for a social event in the evening. Babysitters will often be used to care for older children, and not just babies as the term implies.

Are babysitters registered childcare?

Babysitters are not a form of registered childcare. At present there are no official regulations that babysitters must adhere to. Parents and carers using a babysitter are responsible for ensuring that the person they choose is suitable and responsible enough to care for their children.

Do babysitters have to be above a certain age?

There are currently no laws that state what age a babysitter must be. The NSPCC does not recommend that anyone under the age of 16 years of age be used as a babysitter. The parent or carer still retains legal responsibility for the health and safety of the child when using a person under 18 years of age to carry out babysitting duties. However, age does not always reflect maturity and it is left to the parent or carers discretion to decide the suitability of the person they leave in charge of their child or children.

Tips when choosing a babysitter

Make sure that the person you are considering to use as a babysitter meets with you and your child or children before they will actually be babysitting for you.

Look and listen to your child's reaction to the babysitter.
Ask some questions to help you judge how the persons may deal with certain situations.
What TV programmes would this person consider suitable for children to view?
What are their views on discipline?
How would they cope with an emergency situation?

The NSPCC recommend that the parent or carer also follows their instinct. Leaving your child or children with a babysitter for the first time is a big step for any parent or carer and for your social evening to be enjoyable you will need to feel confident in the abilities of your babysitter and as certain as you can be that you have made the right choice.

What does the babysitter need to know?

Your personal contact details, such as mobile telephone numbers and the telephone number for the restaurant, theatre or other venue you will be attending so you could be easily reached if there was an emergency.

Details of any allergies or medical conditions that your child may have.
Details of any bedtime routines that you and your child follow.
The time you expect your child to be put to bed.
Explain any house rules that you may have, such as no smoking. Explain which rooms are out of bounds and make sure your sitter knows what refreshments are available to them.
Make sure you give a time for your expected arrival home, and stick to it.
Agree payment before the babysitting takes place and how you will get your babysitter back home if needed.

How can I find a babysitter?

Some nanny agencies will operate babysitting services. You can contact Coventry Family Information Service to receive a list of local and national nanny agencies. Some agencies will have carried out check on the people they employ but we would advise that parents and carers ask for references, experience and qualifications and follow up all information provided. Friend and relatives may have used local babysitters and may be able to recommend someone to you, or you may be considering using a family member or friend to babysit for you. You may also wish to place an advertisement in a local shop, newspaper or at a local college, but do ensure that you thoroughly check the suitability of the applicants.

Contact details

To receive information on Babysitting Service or Nanny Agencies please contact Coventry Family Information Service.

You can request information from us using our online enquiry form. If you prefer to leave a telephone message please remember to leave your name, postal address and age of your child(ren). Alternatively just leave your telephone number and an information officer will contact you as soon as possible.

Coventry Family Information Service
Main Floor
Central Library
Smithford Way
Coventry
CV1 1FY
e-mail: coventrycis@coventry.gov.uk
office: 024 7683 4373

fax: 024 7683 2840
minicom: 024 7683 2395

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You are in >Home >Education and learning >Early years >Childcare (Family Information Service) >Types of childcare Babysitting		In Types of childcare
Education and learning. Early years. Childcare (Family Information Service). Expecting and new parents. Help with childcare costs. Help for childcare providers. Support information for children and families. Types of childcare. Financial Inclusion Forum.	\|content starts here\| Babysitting Often used to allow parent and carers to socialise in the evening, babysitters provide unregistered childcare, usually for short periods of time. What is a babysitter? A babysitter is someone who will come into your home and look after your child or children while you go out for a short period of time, usually for a social event in the evening. Babysitters will often be used to care for older children, and not just babies as the term implies. Are babysitters registered childcare? Babysitters are not a form of registered childcare. At present there are no official regulations that babysitters must adhere to. Parents and carers using a babysitter are responsible for ensuring that the person they choose is suitable and responsible enough to care for their children. Do babysitters have to be above a certain age? There are currently no laws that state what age a babysitter must be. The NSPCC does not recommend that anyone under the age of 16 years of age be used as a babysitter. The parent or carer still retains legal responsibility for the health and safety of the child when using a person under 18 years of age to carry out babysitting duties. However, age does not always reflect maturity and it is left to the parent or carers discretion to decide the suitability of the person they leave in charge of their child or children. Tips when choosing a babysitter Make sure that the person you are considering to use as a babysitter meets with you and your child or children before they will actually be babysitting for you. Look and listen to your child's reaction to the babysitter. Ask some questions to help you judge how the persons may deal with certain situations. What TV programmes would this person consider suitable for children to view? What are their views on discipline? How would they cope with an emergency situation? The NSPCC recommend that the parent or carer also follows their instinct. Leaving your child or children with a babysitter for the first time is a big step for any parent or carer and for your social evening to be enjoyable you will need to feel confident in the abilities of your babysitter and as certain as you can be that you have made the right choice. What does the babysitter need to know? Your personal contact details, such as mobile telephone numbers and the telephone number for the restaurant, theatre or other venue you will be attending so you could be easily reached if there was an emergency. Details of any allergies or medical conditions that your child may have. Details of any bedtime routines that you and your child follow. The time you expect your child to be put to bed. Explain any house rules that you may have, such as no smoking. Explain which rooms are out of bounds and make sure your sitter knows what refreshments are available to them. Make sure you give a time for your expected arrival home, and stick to it. Agree payment before the babysitting takes place and how you will get your babysitter back home if needed. How can I find a babysitter? Some nanny agencies will operate babysitting services. You can contact Coventry Family Information Service to receive a list of local and national nanny agencies. Some agencies will have carried out check on the people they employ but we would advise that parents and carers ask for references, experience and qualifications and follow up all information provided. Friend and relatives may have used local babysitters and may be able to recommend someone to you, or you may be considering using a family member or friend to babysit for you. You may also wish to place an advertisement in a local shop, newspaper or at a local college, but do ensure that you thoroughly check the suitability of the applicants. Contact details To receive information on Babysitting Service or Nanny Agencies please contact Coventry Family Information Service. You can request information from us using our online enquiry form. If you prefer to leave a telephone message please remember to leave your name, postal address and age of your child(ren). Alternatively just leave your telephone number and an information officer will contact you as soon as possible. Coventry Family Information Service Main Floor Central Library Smithford Way Coventry CV1 1FY e-mail: coventrycis@coventry.gov.uk office: 024 7683 4373 fax: 024 7683 2840 minicom: 024 7683 2395

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