Hiring a Nanny to Drive Kids to Activities

Background Checks

• Before hiring a nanny, conduct a thorough background check. Although legal background checks cost money, the safety of your children is worth the expense. You will need to acquire signed permission from the nanny applicant to conduct some of these checks. If the nanny will be driving your children, verify that the nanny̵7;s driving record is clean through the Department of Motor Vehicles. A criminal background check is necessary to ensure the applicant does not have a criminal past. A credit report check and college degree verification are not necessary, but can indicate the nanny̵7;s level of responsibility.

References

• Ask the potential nanny for professional references. Call the references personally to ask questions you deem important, such as ̶0;Was the nanny reliable and dependable?̶1; or ̶0;Do you recommend I hire this person for the nanny position?̶1; Find out if the nanny was responsible for driving her former employer̵7;s children and if there were any issues. Finally, pay close attention to the reference̵7;s tone about the nanny applicant. Enthusiasm about the nanny might indicate the reference was satisfied with the nanny̵7;s performance, while a rushed or cold response might also give non-verbal clues about what to expect.

Car

• Decide if the nanny is expected to use her own car or if you will be providing a car. The car -- whether it̵7;s your car or the nanny̵7;s car -- should be safe, clean and well-maintained. The registration and inspection should be up-to-date. The nanny needs to have her own car insurance. If she is driving your car, contact your insurance company to add her as a driver. Consider purchasing a second car seat for your nanny̵7;s car if you have younger children or infants. Ensure the nanny knows how to properly use the car seat. Set clear expectations about speeding, seat belts, children in the front seat and other car safety concerns.

Payment

• Agree upon a salary and other payment arrangements ahead of time. If the nanny is using her own car, you will need to pay her for mileage in addition to gas. Paying for gas alone does not compensate for the wear-and-tear she is putting on her car. You should also provide her with petty cash or a credit card to pay for items that come up, such as meals for the children and activity fees. Ask the nanny to keep the receipts for accounting purposes.