Au Pair Background Checks: How-to Guide for Safe, Accurate Screening
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Inviting an au pair into your home means placing significant trust in someone who will live with your family and help care for your children. That’s why au pair background checks are an important part of the hiring process for many families considering an au pair.
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Unlike traditional childcare providers, au pairs often live in the family and become involved in day-to-day life. They’re more than just caregivers for children—they’re temporary family members. As a result, it’s critical for parents to feel confident placing their trust in an au pair.
Conducting a background check on a prospective au pair can help provide peace of mind by providing relevant details about a candidate’s history. It can help families make informed, responsible hiring decisions. In this guide, we’ll explore how au pair background checks can support the safety and well-being of children and families and how you can screen candidates during your search for the right fit.
Key takeaways:
- Comprehensive au pair background checks can help families identify potential risks and make informed decisions.
- Even when working with an agency, families can also conduct a personal background check to verify and supplement agency findings.
- Understanding the legal and ethical aspects of background checks is necessary for fair hiring and mitigating risk.
- You can get started today and order your first au pair background check online.
Why are background checks essential for au pairs?
Background checks are often an essential part of the onboarding process when hiring au pairs to help families identify qualified candidates to keep their children and household safe. During their placements, au pairs live with families full time, often spending long periods unsupervised with children and sometimes alone in the home.
Assessing potential risks is critical given au pairs’ close access to the most vulnerable household members and the family’s personal property. A robust background check process can help mitigate concerns. Parents who take this step can feel more confident about placing their children in the care of an au pair knowing that they have taken steps to screen the individual sharing their home.
Types of au pair background checks
Families can choose from several types of background checks when screening a candidate for their in-home childcare positions. Standard screenings in an au pair background check may include the following:
- Social Security number (SSN) trace: An SSN trace identifies aliases and previous addresses associated with a candidate’s Social Security number. This information-gathering search can help inform further searches for a more comprehensive background check.
- Criminal records check: This check searches government and court databases for misdemeanor and felony convictions, including offenses such as child abuse, assault, and theft. Depending on the scope of the check, it may include county, state, and federal records.
- Sex offender registry check: This search reviews national, state, territorial, and tribal sex offender registries in the US to determine if a candidate is listed.
- Global watchlist search: A global watchlist search checks for individuals listed on government databases, such as the FBI’s Most Wanted and Interpol notices.
How to conduct au pair background checks
A thorough au pair background check involves a multi-layered approach: working with reputable au pair agencies, conducting personal background checks, and assessing candidates through interviews and references.
Here’s how to conduct a comprehensive au pair background screening:
Using au pair agencies
Most reputable au pair agencies conduct employment background checks, but their processes can vary. If you’re working with an au pair agency, you may consider asking the following questions to assess its background check process:
- Do you conduct background checks on au pairs? Look for agencies that screen all candidates as part of the standard onboarding process.
- Can I review your background check policy? A reputable agency should be transparent about its screening policy.
- What screenings are included in an au pair background check? Ideal background checks for au pairs should include criminal history, sex offender registries, and watchlists.
- Are international checks included? If you’re hiring a foreign national through a cultural exchange program, be sure that the agency conducts international background screenings in the candidate’s home country and the US.
- Do you perform background screenings in-house or partner with a consumer reporting agency (CRA)? If the agency conducts checks on its own, ask what steps it takes to ensure accuracy and comprehensiveness. If it uses a CRA, research its reliability and compliance.
- Do you verify references? An au pair agency should perform professional or personal reference checks as a part of its standard screening procedures.
- How do you verify the au pair’s identity? Au pair agencies should confirm identification information to ensure the individual is who they claim to be and can legally work in the US.
- How often do you update or re-screen au pairs? If you’re looking for a long-term placement, find out whether the agency uses continuous monitoring or performs follow-up screenings at specific intervals, such as once every six months.
Independent background checks
Some au pair agencies don’t share full background check reports to protect the privacy of their au pairs. As a result, families can opt for personal au pair background checks, either by accessing government websites on their own or through a background check provider, like Checkr.
- Conducting an au pair background check yourself. If you elect to perform searches on your own, you’ll need to identify and contact the appropriate law enforcement agencies and local courthouses. Some sources are free to access, while others may charge a record fee.
- Partnering with an au pair background check provider. A background check provider, like Checkr, can save time compared to manual searches and simplify the process of screening an au pair. With Checkr, you can order a personal background check online and review results in minutes. Checkr’s personal checks may include an SSN trace, global watchlist search, criminal record searches, or driving record checks.
- Complying with Fair Credit Reporting Act: If you conduct a background check for employment purposes, you must follow the processes outlined in the FCRA. This federal law governs how employers order and consider information when performing background checks for hiring purposes. Consult legal counsel for detailed guidance about FCRA compliance or assistance with compliant disclosures and notices.
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Interviewing and observations
Interviews and observations can help you learn more about candidates and evaluate their fit for your family. Try these tips for conducting an au pair assessment:
- Ask situational questions to gauge decision-making skills. For example: “What would you do if my child fell down the stairs while playing?” or “How would you handle it if my child refused to go to bed at the appropriate time?”
- Facilitate a play session. Place some toys or games in the room and give the au pair and your child a chance to interact. Observe how the au pair builds rapport. Do they seem at ease? Are they attentive? Engaging? Patient?
- Use “Tell me about a time...” questions. These prompt real-life examples of how the candidate has handled past situations. You might ask, “Tell me about a time when you calmed a child down,” or “Tell me about a time when you made a mistake at work. What happened, and how did you address it?”
- Explain your household rules, values, and priorities. Help the candidate understand life in your home and give them a chance to ask questions or raise concerns.
- Be consistent. If you’re interviewing more than one candidate, ask each one the same questions to ensure a fair comparison.
Run a background check with Checkr today
Conducting an au pair background check can give you greater confidence in your hiring decision, especially when paired with agency screenings, interviews, and observation. Together, these tools can help build a more comprehensive picture of the individual you’re welcoming into your home and entrusting with your child’s care.
Checkr makes the process simple with personal background checks. Pre-built packages let you choose the screenings that meet your specific needs. Within minutes, you’ll receive an easy-to-read au pair background check report to keep your screening process moving forward. Order online today.
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Disclaimer
The resources and information provided here are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Always consult your own counsel for up-to-date legal advice and guidance related to your practices, needs, and compliance with applicable laws.
