Whether you're in need for a caregiver or nanny for a loved one, getting this hire right is of incredible importance.
We revisit this post each year because hiring a caregiver or nanny is a highly personal process and no easy task. To serve parents and children in need of care, Ami Davis has embarked on a mission to advocate for children and to make in-home daycare and in-home care options much safer for parents and children. Her dedication to the cause comes as a result of her own experience of losing a child while being watched in an in-home daycare.
We thought it could be helpful to re-share a list of questions that Amy provided us so you can best evaluate your care needs, especially with school starting right around the corner.
The list provided by Ami is based on questions sourced from her experience of living through two DFPS/HHSC investigations. Some of these questions are geared for infants and many are geared toward any age. The list is also mostly focused toward in-home caregivers, but could be useful to any parent searching for a daycare, nanny, or babysitter.
Questions to ask a caregiver or nanny:
- What is your first, middle, and last name?
- What is your license number? Can you provide a detailed record of your license number? This question should be asked if the in-home daycare is licensed through the state.
- Have you ever had a different license number? In the state of Texas, licensed in-home caregivers receive a new license number when they move.
- Where are your deficiencies posted?
- What current deficiencies are associated with your license number? Please remember a daycare can still be in good standing with the State of Texas, but receive deficiencies.
- How will you notify parents of deficiencies received? The State of Texas does not notify the parents when deficiencies are given, so you need to be mindful to look for these.
- Do you carry liability insurance on your business? Normal homeowner’s insurance does not cover in-home daycares.
- Do you have a criminal background?
- Do you leave infants/children unattended? All infants and children are required to be within hearing/seeing distance in the State of Texas. However, caregivers are allowed to step away to care for other needs in a home setting.
- How do you use the restroom and supervise the infants/children?
- Should infants ever be left on the floor while you attend to another infant/child’s needs?
- What is your city ordinance for the amount of infants/children are allowed in your care? Each city is different. For example, the State can issue a license for a caregiver to have 12 children, BUT that does not mean the city allows 12.
- What are your emergency procedures? How would you perform CPR, call 911, and tend to other children?
- How do you prevent an infant from rolling while tending to other children?
- When you are preparing food, where are the infants/children located?
- Do you have a device that records the activity for the day?
- How will you provide daily sheets for our child?
- If you notice an infant is about to roll (For example, roll to their side) would you tell the parents? How would you inform parents of this information?
- Have you ever had an infant/child removed from your care by the parents? If so, for what reasons? May we speak to these parents?
- Have you ever had to call the ambulance to your house? What was the outcome of these hospital visits?
- How do you keep up with new safety mandates?
- Do you have a list of foods or a scheduled menu you provide the children?
- If you have babies and toddlers you are caring for, what is your process for ensuring safety of the babies while helping toddlers going through potty training?
- What is your protocol if you have two children who may not get along and need to be separated?
- What programs do you follow for developmental growth?
We hope these questions are helpful should you need to find a caregiver or nanny. Below are some additional links regarding Texas’ child care state licensing requirements and standards for reference.
Child Care Minimum Standards: https://hhs.texas.gov/doing-business-hhs/provider-portals/protective-services-providers/child-care-licensing/minimum-standards
Texas State Child Care Requirements: https://www.daycare.com/texas/
