In-Home Caregiver Parent Toolkit
In-home Caregivers provide care for children in the child's home. They include live-in and live-out nannies and housekeepers. Most states do not regulate in-home caregivers, but some states regulate nanny-placement agencies. There are NO fingerprint and TB clearances or adult/child ratio required. Trustline is available to secure clearances for a fee. California, however, requires in-home caregivers receiving child care subsidy payments (APP, CalWORKs, etc.) to be screened through a criminal history check and/or child abuse and neglect clearance. CCCC offers training in child devleopment, health and safety for license-exempt providers.
Care in the child's home is an agreement between the family (the employer) and the
caregiver (the employee). Care of children from one family in the caregiver’s home is a service offered by the caregiver. The parents are purchasers of the service, not employers.
There are NO licensing requirements for In-Home and Exempt Care, however,...
Parents can require:
- A physical examination and TB clearance
- References
- CPR and First Aid
- Smoke-free environment
- Trustline clearance
- Hours of service
- Special services needed
- Salary
- Pay minimum wage and appropriate taxes
- File employer’s tax forms
- An experienced adult who understands the needs of young children
- Attention to each child's needs
- To share in determining your children's program
Before your interviews, use these questions to help you:
- When a (my) child is crying, I usually…
- I think the best way to discipline a child is to…
- Each day I think parents (providers) should tell me about…
RESOURCES
- Trustline: Background Check for in-home child care
A powerful resource for parents hiring a nanny or baby-sitter, TrustLine is California's registry of in-home child care providers who have passed a fingerprint check of records at the California Department of Justice. En Español - Your Rights and Responsibilities as an Employer of an In-Home Caregiver
- Your Rights and Responsibilities as an In-Home Caregiver Employee
- Employing a Limited-English-Speaking Caregiver
- Sample Medical Authorization Form
- Child Care Agreement (En Español)
Informal arrangements with family members, friends or neighbors can sometimes cause problems. Formalize your child care arrangement using this simple form. - Sample Employment Agreement for Parents and In-Home Caregivers
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