Friday, March 10, 2006
Leaving your baby...
A Peruvian woman in South Florida was hired to care for a baby boy. The family did not do background checks and the nanny was not a legal resident. A few months ago the family installed a nanny cam, and they found some disturbing images of the 'nanny' shaking their 16 month old. They immediately took the baby to the hospital and alerted the authorities. The woman was arrested. This week prosecutors dismissed the charges against the woman, as the quality of the nanny cam tape was not sufficient on its own for a conviction. The child had no serious injury.
A Denver-area family advertised for a nanny on the free Craigslist.com. They hired a young woman from Costa Rica and paid for her transportation to Colorado. She did obtain a visa. The nanny called the parents at work this week to report the 5-month old baby was not moving. The baby is hospitalized in fair condition, with a broken collar bone and evidence of two brain traumas - one new and the other a few weeks old.
Many families hire immigrant women (newly arrived without work visas and SSNs) to provide child care services. The vast majority provide wonderful, loving care. But you cannot background check these individuals. I suspect the Colorado family couldn't even reference check the woman. Babies in particular are not able to alert Mom and Dad to any problems - by the time they are discovered it is too late.
Thorough reference and background checking is the parents' duty. They are responsible to protect their children. Finding an experienced, legal caregiver can take a bit more time and might cost a bit more money. Reference checking takes time and dilligence. Don't short change this - you cannot go back and undo a brain injury.
More information on background checking nanny applicants is found at 4nannies.com.
A Peruvian woman in South Florida was hired to care for a baby boy. The family did not do background checks and the nanny was not a legal resident. A few months ago the family installed a nanny cam, and they found some disturbing images of the 'nanny' shaking their 16 month old. They immediately took the baby to the hospital and alerted the authorities. The woman was arrested. This week prosecutors dismissed the charges against the woman, as the quality of the nanny cam tape was not sufficient on its own for a conviction. The child had no serious injury.
A Denver-area family advertised for a nanny on the free Craigslist.com. They hired a young woman from Costa Rica and paid for her transportation to Colorado. She did obtain a visa. The nanny called the parents at work this week to report the 5-month old baby was not moving. The baby is hospitalized in fair condition, with a broken collar bone and evidence of two brain traumas - one new and the other a few weeks old.
Many families hire immigrant women (newly arrived without work visas and SSNs) to provide child care services. The vast majority provide wonderful, loving care. But you cannot background check these individuals. I suspect the Colorado family couldn't even reference check the woman. Babies in particular are not able to alert Mom and Dad to any problems - by the time they are discovered it is too late.
Thorough reference and background checking is the parents' duty. They are responsible to protect their children. Finding an experienced, legal caregiver can take a bit more time and might cost a bit more money. Reference checking takes time and dilligence. Don't short change this - you cannot go back and undo a brain injury.
More information on background checking nanny applicants is found at 4nannies.com.
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I did a backround check on my sitter and she is great and anyone who can beat up on a little child should be beaten themselves i don't agree with it one bit and anyone ever lay a hand on my child i don't think they would live a very good life after the fact. my husband and i both work, i went back to work when my daughter was only 2months old and she has the best babysitter ever but hearing things like this make you step back and think,this really does happen to babies and it makes me want to be at home with my child but for us to live a good life both my husbnd and i have to work to provide for our family. i believe nannycam's should be placed in every home, it's worth it.
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