Background check / certifications for Nanny

[monsterz]

If you hired a nanny on your own as opposed to through an agency, what did you do for background checks?   What certifications if any did you require (first aid/CPR/etc)?   

I still need to figure out how we will pay this person and I am sure there are a ton of questions I am not thinking of. 

[mswax]

I hired a 19-year-old girl to watch my 5- and 7-year-olds after school this year, and bring them to/from their activities. I found her on care.com and called her references, but other than that, no background check. I figure my kids are old enough to tell me if she's doing something super shady, and I also feel like as a society, we go a little overboard with that stuff.

Too breezy?

[monsterz]

Sept 1, 2015 11:51:12 GMT -5 mswax said:

I hired a 19-year-old girl to watch my 5- and 7-year-olds after school this year, and bring them to/from their activities. I found her on care.com and called her references, but other than that, no background check. I figure my kids are old enough to tell me if she's doing something super shady, and I also feel like as a society, we go a little overboard with that stuff.

Too breezy?

I don't think that is too breezy.  I am not sure that junior would tell me if there was something shady going on given the experiences with his birth mom he may not think things are shady.  

[pooh8402]

I'm researching nannies through care.com right now, and I plan to do background checks just because he's still an infant. fortunately, I have a family member who can do them for me for free. and wants to because that family member is invested in the safety of my child too.