Selecting a person to leave in charge of your child's care is a very serious and important task for parents. "Whether parents are selecting a babysitter or deciding to leave one of their own children in charge of his or her younger siblings, the onus is on the parents to make a responsible and informed choice. But where does a concerned parent begin? Family and Children's Services' have developed this helpful list of guidelines that will assist parents in selecting and training a suitable candidate for babysitting.

What Makes a Good Babysitter?
You want someone with maturity and judgement, someone who likes children and will do fun things with them. The babysitter should know something about child behavior, be able to handle basic needs such as meals and putting the child to bed, and have the training to deal with any problems or emergencies that may arise.

The Canada Safety Council Babysitters' Training Course provides the knowledge and skills needed to become a responsible babysitter, skills that will serve the students well into adulthood. The program is designed for students 12 years old and up who are willing to dedicate ten hours of their time to receive certification as a trained babysitter.

By taking this course, young people show their commitment to gaining the knowledge and skills to handle the many challenges of babysitting. If your child is 12 years of age or older, encourage him or her to take babysitter training.

Selecting a Babysitter
• Age shouldn't always be the determining factor. Although the minimum age recommended by Family and Children's Services' for a babysitter is 12, not every 12 year old or teenager is mature enough to care for a baby or a child. Take the time to get to know the prospective babysitter and use your discretion to determine if they seem to have a strong sense of responsibility to care for your children.

• Has the sitter taken a babysitting course or First Aid? Courses are available from Red Cross, St. John's Ambulance, Parks and Recreation or your local Board of Education.

• Reference checks are important. Even if you know the potential babysitter well, don't hesitate to contact other parents who have used his or her services. Even though the sitter may be a wonderful neighbour, he or she may not have the skills or maturity to look after children.

• Older siblings aren't always the best candidates for babysitting a younger child. Some may resent the expectation placed on them to provide care for the younger child.

Training
• Have a safety plan. Ensure the babysitter knows how to call 9-1-1 and that he or she knows the address of your home and the major cross-streets. The sitter should also know how to reach you while you're gone (phone number, cell phone, pager) and they should also know which neighbour they can rely on in an emergency.

• Since a fire can start in minutes, the sitter should also know a fire safety evacuation plan regardless of the length of time parents will be away.

• Start your babysitter with short time intervals to gear up for a longer night out. This will help you and the sitter build confidence.

• After returning at the end of the babysitter's shift, pay attention to the types of things the sitter comments on. Did he or she hit on points of concern that a parent would notice such as if the child ate, did the child seem sad, happy, anxious, did they spend time together reading, colouring, etc.

• After the sitter has left, talk to your child about his or her experience. Some questions you may want to ask include: What activities did they do together? Did the child like the babysitter?

Babysitting checklist taken from Durham CAS