Thanks to everyone who answered/commented.  What great feedback!  I showed the hubby what you all said last night, and he actually said he stood corrected! HURRAY for Minti Democracy! 

We ALWAYS do a background check - and most our friends think we're being overly paranoid so I know how you feel.  We don't have friends with older children to babysit for us so we always end up with a "professional."  Still, I don't know that you can always trust the company's screening process, so we always do our own.  We have a membership at this Public Records Search Engine company, and they have not let us down yet.  Of course, once you find a good sitter, just stick with them.  It mitigates the cost of the background checks and of course makes the kids feel a lot more comfortable to be with someone they know. 

http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/6360/Never-Shake-a-Babyshaken-baby-syndrome/

Again...maybe I will get this figured out!  If it were me with my children I would do background checks, I would also do a few surprise drop ins just to check that everything is going smoothly. 

If it was me i be doing a back ground check , theses days you can never  be  to careful when its comes to getting your kids look after . Like some ladies have said   poeple that work here with children in aussie has to have a blue card  , which means they had a police check done on them .

Hi here in australia they have anew law anyone that works or wants to work with children has to have a police check so i agree with you a check is a fantastic idea! Here even if myself as a parent wants to work at the school my children attend i would have to have a check, some say it is silly but i totally agree as wether you are a parent or not should not automatically give you the right to work with children as  we never ever know what that parent is like or capable of! At least with a check you are almost guaranteed to get someone you know your child/children will  be safe with! Good luck hugs Michelle

If I HAVE to leave the kids with anyone other than family, then I make sure that they are a holder of a Blue Card. This is a national check through the police and also child abusers. Leisa

I agree with you, it is a good idea to get a background check, think of it this way, if you didnt do it and something happened and found out information later you would never forgive yourself, as the saying goes its better to be safe than sorry.

Hiya

If you owned a rental property and wanted to lease it out, would you do a check on you new tenants? Yes, so why wouldnt u do a check on your babysitter. This person is alone with your child. you want to know everything about him/her and should they have a past, Im sure they are not going to tell you about it, are they.

I think it's always best practice to do background checks on anyone you hire - especially if they are coming to your house! The person who you might hire may be a criminal (like a thief or paedophile) but you just don't know it until you get background checks on them.

If I had to have someone I didn't know look after my children I would want them checked out too! I won't leave my children with someone I don't know (have fun getting me to leave them at all! lol) but I choose to be this way and have the luxury of being able to get my mum to come up and stay or calling my auntie and uncle across the paddock!

Well call me paranoid too LOL I am afraid if any one I didn't know (even professional sitters)was going to be in my home looking after our child/children they would have to have a police clearance.I really don't think you can be too careful these days.......call me paranoid PMSL  Hugs Crystal xx

I think it's a great idea.  Very few people are able to look after my daughter.  My brother does and he does a good job.  A close friend of mine looks after her, I take her over there and she plays with their son who is an avid Thomas the Tank Engine fan as well.  My mum watches her sometimes but not often.  She'll be in town next Monday so she'll have her for the day instead of taking her to daycare.  I have never hired a babysitter outside that little circle before, but would definately be doing a background check before hand to make sure they are up to scratch.  The few times I have left her with people, even though it's people I know and trust, I send text messages and they send me messages and picture messages of her doing things.

Its a great idea, your little darling needs to be with someone you can trust and you dont know the sitter ...its better to be safe then sorry ....

i have worked with children and babies in a school and each time i have worked with them they have done a check on me ,, its part of working with children and i think its an important thing to do ,,, .....